The Sharingan of the crimson Princess
by Arcreed
Summary: When fate brings a person who discard his life for the sake of peace to a new world, will he be able to find happiness? Or will he sacrifice his life again for the greater good? One thing for sure, his life will be a lot more hectic than he could possibly imagine. Rated M for the obvious reason that is High School DxD. First time ever written a fanfic. Please R and R
1. A new beginning for the great hero

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!**__**"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 1

**A new beginning for the great hero**

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"I will always love you"

After saying those words, the man could feel that his soul slowly departing from this world. Having said that he does not feel the slightest regret nor disappointment for being unable to change his brother's mind.

"_It's alright" _he thought. _"Naruto will accomplish what I could not"._

With that, he smiled, both for his brother and himself, knowing that his will has been passed on. The next thing he knows is only utter darkness.

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**(Man's POV)**

A sound of a roar can be heard. However this roar does not belong to any kind of animals for this roar sound and feels very powerful. It feels like this roar is the kind of roar that belongs to a tailed beast. However the young man who heard this roar feels that it's strange instead of frightening. Reason being is that a dead person should not be able to hear, least of all think.

"_Wha…_?" The young man feels numb, but at the same time also very alive.

"_Where am I?" _thought the young man. "_Or rather how come I am conscious? Did someone summon me using the impure world resurrection again?"_

It's an unsettling thought for the young man. After the entire thing that he went through, the thought of being summoned again caused him to feel disappointed with himself.

"_Maybe I should take a precaution, for whoever summons me he…re…?"_ The young man was unable to finish his train of thought. Not because, he was robbed of his free will, but because of the sight that he saw after he opened his eyes.

In front of him, there's literally _nothing. _No land, no sky, just _nothing._

"_Is this…what the afterlife looks like?"_ That was what the young man thought. But he knew better. In the afterlife someone does not possess a consciousness for they were kept there in a similar state as sleeping.

Then he heard it again. The roar which caused him to wake up. He tried to turn his neck to the side, but unable to do it. He tried to move his hands and legs next, but also unable to do it.

"_What is wrong with my body?"_ He tried to talk but found out that he couldn't make any voice. Then he saw it. Through the panorama which seemingly reflect many different colours and creates a kaleidoscope, he saw his own reflection.

His body, if it could be called that, is not there. It's not because he is in someone else's body. No, it's the fact that his body is so translucent that he feels that his body is not a body but rather a result of a genjutsu.

His confusion and wonder only stay for a brief moment, due to the appearance of a massive red creature of immeasurable power.

He could only stare with wide eyes at the creature's appearances. "_This creature…. It's easily outmatched most tailed beasts in term of size alone!"_

Then after a while the young man could finally see what this creature that radiates so much power is and in that moment the only think that he could think about is…

"_An…oversized lizard?"_

It's a pity that the creature known as Dragon does not exist in the place that the young man hailed from.

The lizard(?)'s neck suddenly snap to the man's direction as if seemingly able to hear his thought.

"_Don't tell me… It could hear my thought?"_

As if to answer the young man's question, the creature roar again which cause the young man already fragile existence to be blow up.

Or that was what probably would happen should the young man was not covered by a bone like structure which seemingly protect his life.

The lizard(?) looks surprise for a second, if the widened of its eyes is any indication. However the young man did not notice this because of a greater concern.

"_This is…Susano'o? How come it's activated? I didn't remember activating my eyes."_ However the young man's confusion which grew even larger every second was cut short as the lizard(?) then focus its eyes upon the young man's.

In that brief moment, he could feel the creature entering his consciousness, and witnessing memories upon memories that the young man had in his life.

He could feel the lizard(?)'s intrigue on his memories, and tried to push it out, but to no avail.

After a while, the feeling is seemingly ended which mark that the lizard – no, the _beast _has pulled itself out of his mind.

"_What are you…"_ He didn't finish his sentence, because for the first time ever he heard the beast talking.

"**Interesting…"**

Surprisingly, while the voice sounds calm and powerful, the man couldn.t help but be reminded and compare it to the thugs that he faced in the past and noted the similarity.

This time he can feel power surrounding him. When the power starts to envelop him, the man couldn't help but wonder what the creature is trying to do. However his thought is cut short as he slowly drifted to unconsciousness. The man then falls through a hole while still enveloped by the red light and missed the last thing that the _beast _said.

"**Show me more interesting stuffs…..Uchiha….Itachi…."**

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He could hear a sound of water flowing, and the grass which he is currently lay on is seemingly indication that he is no longer in that place, wherever – _whatever _that place was.

"Oya? Now this is interesting…" He could hear a man's voice. From his tone he deduced that whoever this man is, he has an easy going personality, and is probably like by many.

"I was sure that the security in this place is top notch, with detection barrier and so on activated. Moreover my dear _queen_ WAS the one who made this barrier. So it should NOT be possible for anyone to enter this place WITHOUT her knowing it, hey, wait, are you even awake?"

The man slowly opened his eye after hearing that. He then look around his surrounding and noted that he seems to be in a garden inside a castle. Strangely the design of the wall and the ornaments were unlike anything he ever seen.

The man then slowly directed his gaze upward and sees the features of the man who talk to him just now.

He had a young look, but not young enough to be called teenager, a young adult, at least in his mid-twenties. He has an expression which can be said as very friendly, with radiating smile. However the man couldn't help but feels that this man in front of him is also very lazy and do things as he likes. However the most striking feature of this man is his long red hair which reminds him of a certain leader that he used to work with.

"That's better. You know, you should respect your elderly more". He noted that for some reason the red-haired man tone seems to shift to one that his mother used when he was a child.

"This kind of thing is not good, you know? Respect should be learn properly especially since you're still a kid. Really kids these days seems to love playing prank on their elderly"

Seems like the man have problems with young people but the man – no, the boy just couldn't help but focus on one particular word from the red-haired man.

"A kid?" The boy couldn't help but wonder whether he truly looks that young, or that the man is far older than his looks suggest.

"Well, aren't you a kid? I mean, you look like a 7 years old boy"

Now THAT got the boy's attention. His eyes snap wide and he slowly look at his body and note that he indeed has a body of a young boy. His mind frantically search for the cause of this _unnatural _transformation and after a moment he comes to a conclusion.

"_It seems that whatever it was that red beast has done to me, it affected my age and appearance. Or could it be that It intentionally altered my age?"_ His musing was cut short because of the red-haired man's clap.

"Now, now, it's not good for a child your age to be lying around in a cold soil like this. You might catch a cold, you know?" said the red-haired man in a casual tone while offering his hand.

The boy pick the man's hand and the man then pull him up. "Thank you…"

"Oh no, it's not a problem at all" replied the man, still in his casual tone.

"If it's not a problem, may I know where I am?" said the boy in a tone that sounds very calm and mature. He needs information and it will not do if the man treated him as a child and thus delaying his attempt to gather information.

"My, aren't you a mature one? You're in my castle of course!" said the man seemingly proud of his palace and expecting a reaction that every child has when they know they are in HIS palace.

However the boy in front of him remains unfazed and instead asks "…and you are?"

The red-haired man couldn't help but fall to the ground (face first) due to the fact that the boy does NOT know who HE is.

However due to misfortune or some form of higher entity which manipulate fate, there's a sharp looking stone on the ground which directly hit what most healthy men would called "My Son".

The boy couldn't help but sweat dropped at the display of utter ridiculousness in front of him. "_How could someone be this unlucky?"_ thought the boy. However he couldn't help but feels that there IS someone out there who experienced much more misfortune on a far higher scale on a daily basis.

He looks at the man who still rolling around in pain while screaming "My Son" several times before deciding to help him.

"Could you stand? Here, grab my hand" He didn't bother to ask whether the man is alright or not, because he is definitely NOT alright.

"T-t-t-t-thank-k-k-k-y-y-yo-u" said the man, still stuttering from the pain.

"As I said earlier, who are you?" the boy repeated his last question, but this time in a far more relaxed voice.

"How come you don't know ME?! I am who is known as the crimson Satan, the leader of the four great Satans, ruler of the underworld and the current Lucifer! The one and only Sirzech Lucifer, fomerly known as Sirzech Gremory!" shouted the man in a _very_ passionate voice.

The boy however only tilts his head to the side and said...

"No idea"

The man, now known as Sirzech became crestfallen. This is the first time that someone does not recognize him, and the fact that many beings out there (angel, fallen angel etc) knows or at least recognize his name, speaks about the boy's lack of knowledge.

Sirzech however quickly regain his laid-back attitude and ask the boy the questions that are bugging his mind.

"By the way why are you here, or rather how can you be here?"

"No idea" replied the boy immediately. "I have no knowledge of this Satan, underworld and even the name Lucifer or Gremory" the boy paused for a moment before continuing with a shrug "As for how I can be here, my only guess is it's the work of the massive red lizard that I met"

"A massive red lizard? (yes) Tell me, is this lizard lives in a place where there's nothing in there, and I mean literally _nothing_"

The boy look surprised for a moment but quickly replace it with his calm persona and then he gives the man a nod.

"The _Great Red_" muttered Sirzech.

"Great Red?" asked the boy who is now curious.

"Ah, well, the Great Red is the most powerful dragon in existence (dragon?). Please don't tell me that you don't even know what a dragon is (I don't know). Now this is s surprise. I thought dragons are famous especially in the lore and stories"

"Could you explain to me what these dragons are?" asked the boy, while thinking about the power that the red lizard – now known as the Great Red emitted. Its power is comparable to that of nine-tails and if It proves to be hostile then some kind of measure needs to be made to seal it. Although he is more worried about why that dragon turns him into a child (not that he complaining). Suddenly however, he felt very weak and a wave of dizziness spread in his head.

"Well, a dragon is…." Sirzech was unable to finish his explanations because suddenly the boy collapses. In a rush of panic he went to the boy's side and check that he looks really paled. "Grayfia! Come here quick!" The urgency in his voice and mind however was cut when a noise from a certain boy's stomach made itself known.

GRUMBLE

And the rest is silent

GRUMBLE

Or should be if not for the fact that a noise from the boy's stomach grew louder every seconds.

*Twitch*, *twitch* "I think….I over(GRUMBLE)ted myself" said the boy with a voice just above a whisper and his body twitching.

"Pfft….Ahahahaha!" Sirzech couldn't help but burst out laughing. Really, after a display of unnatural calmness and maturity for a young boy, to collapse because of hunger is just anti-climactic.

"Huhuhu….Still a CHILD after all~" said Sirzech still chuckling. The boy didn't know why, but he could feel his pride as a man being hurt so much at the moment.

"Fine, let's go get you a food shall we?" Sirzech starts to carry the boy on his back and noted how light he feels. Even his younger sister is heavier than him, although only by a small margin. He then realizes that he still doesn't know the boy's name.

"By the way, what's your name? It's only polite to tell your name to your elder, especially the one who will feed you" Sirzech said with a smile.

The boy couldn't find any reason to not give his name then gives a very thin smile and replied

"It's….Itachi"

"My name is…Uchiha…Itachi…"

**Alright! Finish the first chapter of my very first fanfiction ever! I don't know whether my story is interesting or not, but I tried to make it less darker, because of the comedic nature of DxD. By the way Itachi will NOT be overpowered. Reason why is because what make Itachi badass is that he could fight and win despite being limited by his illness. Also Itachi is not the type who fought using overpowering brute strength, but rather effective utilization of jutsu, excellent chakra control and his analytical abilities. I'm not sure about pairings, whether I should create a harem for Itachi or not paired him at all. Please give suggestions!**

**Rates and review folks!**


	2. Meeting the Siscon's family

**Got MY very first reviews! YAAAY! Thank you Guys, for your great reviews. ****The first few chapters would be the introduction chapters where Itachi learns about the setting of the DxD world. It will focus on him meeting several characters from DxD and his interactions with these characters. For those who confused as why Itachi don't know what the word 'dragon' is, it's because the pronunciation of 'dragon' in Naruto and DxD is different. In Naruto they use Japanese [**_**Ryuu**_**], while in DxD they use English [**_**Doragon**_**] (with Japanese accent). And besides the only dragon in Naruto (so far) is the eastern dragon type that only appear in a form of jutsu and not western and actual dragon in flesh.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!**__**"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 2

**Meeting the Siscon's Family**

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**[In Front of the Gremory Castle]**

"_How in the world did it come to this_?" was what the young Uchiha thought while standing in front of a huge gate of a massive castle. Standing next to him is Sirzech Lucifer who is currently crying and his ever devoted maid (wife) Grayfia who is currently pinching and stretching his right cheek.

Itachi wear a simple black shirt and pants and an oversized red jacket, courtesy of Sirzech's stubbornness who insisted saying that a red colour jacket suits him well. Said man, who is currently being punished wear what seemingly looks like a leather suit and pants but with shoulder armors added to it. Meanwhile, the woman Grayfia, wear a white coloured dress, but the style is unlike anything that he ever seen.

"It hurts~, It hurts~ Grayfia~" cried Sirzech with a painful expression.

"This is a punishment for neglecting your work for a week" said Grayfia while applying more power to her fingers which causes Sirzech to literally have waterfalls coming from both his eyes. Itachi couldn't help but grimacing at the display of the punishment. While he is indeed familiar with types of punishment and torture that are crueler and more _inhumane_, but if the dark-red cheek of Sirzech is any indication, then he surely wants to stay on the woman's good side.

"But! But! It's Itachi-kun's fault for wanting to go out and see the underworld, and he kept ranting about it too!" said Sirzech with a pleading (lame) face. Itachi couldn't help but wonder whether he seriously put the blame on him or not, but decides to reply anyway.

"Sirzech-san." His voice grabs both adults attention. "As far as I remember, the only thing I said was "May I go out to see the area around the castle? The views here are completely different than the one I'm familiar with. It would be unwise for me to get lost because of such trivial matters such as unfamiliarity with the terrain of the area" and not the underworld".

"But! But! Didn't you say that you would leave the castle if I didn't give you the permission? Of course as a responsible adult, I had no choice but to accompany you. It will not sit well with me if I let you out only to find you dead". Itachi blinks twice at the man's words. Then he feels a surge of migraine and massages his temple.

"Sirzech-san" he began with a sigh. "What I said to you was "If you don't want me to go alone, because I still will go, then would you be so kind as to assign someone to accompany me then?" Not that YOU have to be the one that accompany me. Not to mention you're the one who dragged me everywhere you like" finished Itachi with a slight smile, because he knew what comes next.

The now paled-looking Sirzech tried to retort, but before he could do that "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" was the only sound that comes out of his mouth. This is due to Grayfia who was previously pinched Sirzech with _only _two fingers, is now using her left hand to crush Sirzech's right face.

After a minute or two of continuous "AAAAAHHHHH!" screaming brought to you by Sirzech, Itachi then proceed to ask the question that currently bugging his mind.

"Why are we here?" He didn't need to know where or what is this place, because Sirzech already told him about their last destination.

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**(Flash back) [Carriage]**

"Itachi-kun, do you know where this road lead us to?" Sirzech said while smiling at him. He asked the question using his laid-back manner, but Itachi noted that there's a fire on his eyes which indicates that Sirzech wanted him to be curious.

Of course being new to _everything _in _this place_, Itachi would not know where he currently headed and probably _should _be curious. However he got a feeling of dread that if he stimulates Sirzech's passion, then there will be no end to it. So he averted his gazes from the views outside the carriage and said…

"No. Not that I care anyway…" Well that's probably a cruel way to destroy someone's expectation. Sirzech becomes crestfallen for having his chance of explaining their destination with passion - especially regarding a certain young girl in that place - utterly crushed by the boy in front of him.

"Well~. Our destination is the Gremory castle which is owned by my….." Itachi could only hear the first bit of the sentence, because Sirzech's voice becomes so low that it turns into an incomprehensible mumbling.

"_Hmm, it seems the mental damage was far greater than I anticipated. Well, with his personality, he should recover in a day or two"_ thought Itachi. _"But still… The Gremory castle, huh…"_

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Sirzech continue to be depressed for the rest of the journey, which caused Itachi to sweat dropped at the childish antique of the ruler of the underworld. However the moment Sirzech step out of the carriage, Itachi couldn't help but noted that he suddenly becomes cheerful and dash forward to the gate.

"Ria~tan~, your Onii-tama has come to see you~!" screamed Sirzech in a very childish voice, which make Itachi to sweat dropped even more. However Sirzech attempt was cut short, due to the sudden appearance of Grayfia who restrain him by pinning his body to the ground using their so called 'magic'. She then proceeds to punish Sirzech which leads to the event at the top.

(**End Flash back)**

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"So, will you give me an answer or not?" questioned Itachi

" Ileve tmescxplsnr to mmre bershddfsa Gfyia iut…( translation: I'll leave the explanation to my dear Grayfia…)." is the kind of replied that came out from Sirzech's mouth. It's to be expected since half of his face is swollen to the point that he is almost becomes unrecognizable.

Itachi turns his attention to Grayfia and Grayfia only cough. "Well, Itachi, do you remember when you said that you have no knowledge of the underworld? (nod) Well 'this man' and I have decided that it's easier and more effective to gives you lessons alongside his younger sister. It's also help that the curriculum taught here covers even the knowledge regarding the human world and heaven extensively. The Gremory family is one of the 72 pillars after all".

…

…

…...

…"Are you sure?" said Itachi after a brief moment of thinking.

"Regarding what?"

"I'm someone who the two of you just met a while ago. Not to mention I am an unknown who knows nothing, and if that is not enough, you two also knows nothing about me. Are you sure it's wise to put your trust in me and placed me in a same place as his sister?" said Itachi while pointing at Sirzech. "For all you know, I might use this chance to kidnap her and take her hostage somewhere to be used against him. Even worse, I might use this chance to assassinate the entire Gremory clan" finish Itachi while closing his eyes and waiting for the woman to replied.

"It's not a matter of whether I trust you or not" surprisingly it was Sirzech who replied. Itachi opened his eyes to look at the man who immediately replied to him without a single hint of hesitation.

"Then?"

"I just know that you will NOT do it. I could see it in your eyes the moment we met. And even now I can still see it" said Sirzech while smiling, or rather looks like smiling (it's still hard to tell what's his facial expression at the moment).

"And what is it that you see?" replied Itachi, now curious.

"That there is so much love inside of you. You are NOT someone who will mercilessly take other people's life without feeling remorse. No, in fact I can tell you this; you only took actions that are against your desire, because you are driven by love towards other. I would not even be surprised if you decide to abandon your own happiness for others in the future" finish Sirzech.

"…" Itachi was left speechless. This is the first time that someone was capable of reading through him almost completely in a short time.

"Ah…what about you then Grayfia-san?" said Itachi after he managed to regain his bearing.

"The fact that he has faith in you is more than enough. Not to mention, like him I also can see 'it' in your eyes" finish Grayfia with a tone that gives no room for argument, although she also gives a very warm smile to him.

…

…

…

"Thank you….." said Itachi in a voice barely above a whisper, but the two adults heard him nonetheless. Suddenly a sound can be heard coming from the gate and slowly it's open.

"Oh my, it seems that we spent too much time talking that they decides to pick us instead" said Sirzech in his jovial tone.

"How shameful. As the wife and caretaker of the current Lucifer, I should be able to notice that so much time has passed. It's even almost the time for lunch" said Grayfia with a slight disappointment in her voice.

Itachi noted that the sun has indeed risen above their heads. "Please forgive me Grayfia-san, Sirzech-san for taking your times" said Itachi while bowing to Grayfia and then he turns to face Sirzech only for his eyes to widen and his mouth to open, the usual expression of complete disbelief. The cause of the expression which is rarely, if not never, shown on Itachi's face was the phenomenon in front of him, namely Sirzech's face.

There was nothing, no injuries, no swollen, not even a mark of scar in his face. It's like his face never even received the slightest damage and from the expression of both Sirzech and Grayfia, it can be said that this is a natural thing. However for the boy who saw it for the first time, he could only stare at the man's face trying to comprehend what he see. Unfortunately, said man took notice of the boy's stare.

"Mu! Is there something on my face? A rice or chocolate on my lips?" However Sirzech noticed that Itachi only continue to stare at him intently. Of course being an elder brother and with his spectacular deductive ability as a Satan, he comes to the best possible conclusion.

"Ah~, so that's how it is. You want to call me 'Onii-san' aren't you? Oh my, how embarrassing. You should say so if that's what you want" said Sirzech with a radiant smile. However Itachi only looks dumbstruck and after regaining a bit of his self from the shock, the boy tried to ask the question without stuttering.

"How…. is it that your…. face…. looks like that?" Due to the aftershock, Itachi couldn't fully say his intended question.

"Well, I need to look the best when visiting a family. Especially with Rias waiting for me, it will not do if she saw in an improper state right?" said Sirzech, completely missed the question. Grayfia couldn't help but notice the slight disappointment in Sirzech's voice. It seems that he already sees the boy as a part of his family and wanted Itachi to call him 'Onii-san'.

"….Tha-.." Itachi tried to correct his mistake. But his voice is drown by a loud and young feminine voice.

"ONII-TAMA!"

Immediately, Itachi turns his head around and caught a glimpse of, a young Sirzech? However he quickly notices that despite the resemblance, this version of Sirzech is without a doubt, a female. More accurately, it's a young girl who looks similar to Sirzech, but with few differences here and there, although her red hair is the same as his.

"Ah~, Ria-tan~, my adorable little sister~" said Sirzech while hugging his little sister who is now identified as Rias. Itachi couldn't help but stare at the scene in front of him, which reminds himself of his own past.

"Ooh~, isn't this a heartwarming scene?" came a sudden voice from behind Itachi. Now, Itachi is not someone that's easily gets surprised. But the fact that he couldn't feel any presence behind him, before the man made himself known, speaks about the volumes of the man's ability. He noted that this man also has a red hair, and from his elderly looks, Itachi can only deduced that this man is Lord Gremory, the father of Sirzech. He also noticed that like Sirzech, the man's posture radiates power; although his is more visible than Sirzech (Sirzech's attitudes cover his true power from being observed by naked eyes).

"Really, now. Making a ruckus in front of someone else's house…Have you lost your manner, Sirzech?"Scolded a stern voice which belongs to…an older version of Rias? However Itachi noticed that the woman, unlike her copy, has a brown hair.

Itachi went to Grayfia's side and said "I thought Sirzech-san said that he only has one younger sister…" which makes Grayfia looks at him for a moment, but then suddenly starts giggling.

"Did I say something weird?" asked the now confused Itachi. On the other hand the three red hairs and one brown hair directed their attention to them to see what caused Grayfia to laugh.

"No, it's just, that woman over there is 'that person's' mother, the Lady Gremory...and NOT his sister" replied Grayfia.

….

….

…."Mother?"

"Ah, yes, she is my Okaa-san, Venelana Gremory" said Sirzech in a jovial manner.

…..

…..

…..."_Are you serious?"_ Itachi mentally asked. But, as if he could read the boy's mind, Sirzech gives an expression that says "_Very"_. The atmosphere then becomes very silence, due to the intense thinking that the boy has. The two adults Gremory notices the boy's silence and narrow their eyes when they felt the intensity that poured out of him. Even Sirzech is starting to become unnerved, because he could feel the intensity from the boy despite him looking down.

However as if to break the unnerving silence, Rias suddenly hop out of Sirzech's grasped and approach Itachi. Itachi who doesn't know what the girl wants from him, tried to strike a conversation, but before he could do so…

HUG

Suddenly Rias hugs him, which made Itachi raise a brow.

"….. Rias….san?"

"Hush….It's alright. No one is angry at you…" It seems that Rias saw and conclude this scene as Itachi being scolded by the three adults. Itachi couldn't help but notices another similarity between the siblings, in that they have a talent for arriving at a wrong conclusion.

"Huhuhu…" Itachi couldn't help but feel a sense of dread from that voice. True enough, when he turns his head to the left, he saw Sirzech who has a red aura surrounding him and his face is covered by his bangs.

"Not bad…."

"Not bad at all…..Itachi-kun…."

"To steal Ria-tan's attention and hug on the first meeting and in front of me too…It seems that I need to be wary of you…."

Now, if a normal person is in Itachi's shoes, they definitely blew up their bladder. However, for Itachi who've experienced many horrors and hardships, not to mention his incredible self-control, the only thing he do is slowly and gently pushes Rias away and tried to remedy the situation. Of course however, fate's not going to make it easier for him to do so. The moment he open his mouth…

GRUMBLE….

…..

….

…..

GRUMBLE…..

Slowly, every pairs of eyes follows the trail of the sound, and their gazes fall upon the youngest Gremory. Rias, meanwhile only looks very embarrassed and seemingly tried to vanish by hiding behind her brother. Seeing this Sirzech could only smile, an expression that is shared by the rest of the adults. Itachi on the other hand, only stare at Rias with his usual calm face, which caused Rias who saw this to further hide herself. But then, he starts to show a gentle smile towards Rias, who noticed Itachi' smile and starts to have a bright expression again.

"It seems that we got pulled too deeply into the moment that we failed to notice the young ones hunger" said Lord Gremory while laughing. Itachi feels his pride as a man took a massive blow from the elderly man's words.

"Indeed. Shall we continue our conversation inside? Sirzech, leads the boy so that he does not get lost inside the castle" said Venelana. However suddenly she stops and asks another question.

"By the way, what is your name? We can't call you 'boy' forever, right?" Itachi noticed that there's a slight teasing in her voice, and wonder whether she's really as strict as she make herself look.

"My name is Itachi. Uchiha…Itachi. Uchiha is my family name" replied Itachi in a way that leaves no room for misunderstanding regarding his name.

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**(Flash back) [Sirzech's castle]**

"So is your name Itachi, or Uchiha?" asked Sirzech for the dozen times.

Its right after he was carried and fed by Sirzech that he formally introduced himself to the man. He also got the chance to receive a brief explanation about the place or rather the world that he currently in. Apparently this underworld is the place where the so called 'Devil' and 'Fallen Angel' dwelled. And currently he is in the place owned by one of the leader of the Devil. However he couldn't dwell in his thought regarding his newly received information, because one of the Satan, the one who holds the title of Lucifer, Sirzech Lucifer, wouldn't stop bugging him about his name.

"For the last time, it's Uchiha Itachi" replied Itachi in a tired voice. "But you can call me Itachi. Uchiha is my family or rather my clan's name"

"Then, shouldn't it be Itachi Uchiha? I mean, who put their family names first?" asked Sirzech in a seriously curious tone. However Itachi couldn't help but feels that the man keeps questioning him on purpose for the sake of his enjoyment.

"_Well…mine did" _thought Itachi as if it's the most obvious answer. He didn't voice his thought; because he got the feeling that there will be no end to this conversation should he answer that question.

"Perhaps his name is pronounced with the same manner as Souji" said a voice from the door. Itachi turn his eyes to the door and indeed standing there is the maid who made his food, Grayfia if he's not mistaken.

"Ah~, now that you mention it, Souji also has his family name first. Is this means that makes you Japanese like him?" said Sirzech. Itachi, who has no knowledge regarding this 'Japanese' only nod so to not raise suspicions.

"Hmm~, and you said you have no knowledge of the underworld, yet here you are. Tell me, where do you hail from?" asked Grayfia in a tone that screams answer or receives hell.

…..

…"I came from a village that is completely cut-off from the rest of the world, as such I lack many knowledge regarding the world's history, its cultures and even the technologies used. I also never heard of fallen angel, though I've heard about demons and angels. I don't know how I came to be in this place and who was responsible for it, but the last thing I remember is that I was enveloped by a light" finish Itachi. It's not a lie, but it's not the truth either. He knows nothing about _this world,_ and he had no doubt that if the human world is referring to the elemental nations, then _'Madara' _and Orochimaru would already try to lay their hands on these beings (The former for pawns and the latter for experiment) which make it unlikely that this _human world_ is the same place as elemental nations, because they didn't do so. Although, it seems the idea of angels being messengers of God is the same here as in elemental nations, as he couldn't help but be reminded of a certain "_God_" and "_Angel"_ within the organization.

"Well~, as for who is responsible for you to be here, I have an idea. But the question is Itachi-kun, why did _Great Red_ take interest in you to the point that It troubled itself for transporting you here. What is it that makes you _different? _What are you, _Uchiha Itachi_…" Although Sirzech said it in his usual jovial manner, but Itachi couldn't help but feels the edge in his voice. It's as if he is being interrogated by his superiors. Having no way to back out from the question, Itachi slowly inhaled and prepare his answer. However this time, he doesn't need to fabricate it.

"I am…." began Itachi.

**(End Flash back)**

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**[Inside the Gremory castle]**

After they finished the feast, Itachi was dragged away by Rias who wanted to show him around. The adults there were content to let the children enjoying their time, and not to mention that now they can starts discussing the more pressing issues.

"Well, Sirzech? Will you start explaining who that boy is and why you bring him here?" asked Lord Gremory.

"Yes, you should begin explaining, because when you contacted us before about finding something interesting, I never expected it to be someone instead" continued Venelana.

"Well~, before I explain my reasoning, I want to ask both of you first" Lord Gremory and Venelana couldn't help but wondering what their son wanted to ask. "What do you think about him?" asked Sirzech. He didn't need to point out who is it he was talking about.

"…."

"…."

"Oya~, was the question too hard? Or that I didn't make it clear enough who I am talking about?" asked Sirzech, curious about his parents' lack of response.

"No…..it's not that. It's just that I do not know where to start" said Lord Gremory with an expression that seemingly says he is in deep thought.

"Yes. There are so many complexities in that boy that I do not know how to answer your question" stated Venelana.

"Mou~. It can't be that hard. Just say what comes to mind" whined Sirzech which caused Grayfia to pinch his cheek again. "It hurts~, it hurts~, Grayfia~" cried Sirzech.

"Then show the proper attitude for a man of your age and status" scolded Grayfia with a stern voice. This only caused Sirzech to cries even more.

"….He is…...not a child" Lord Gremory began. "The way that boy carries himself, his posture, even the way he walks does not belongs to that of a child. There are no waste movements in his steps and even his attitude lacks something that a child should have"

"Oh~, and that is?" asked Sirzech, curious about his father's insight, though he still has tears dropping from his eyes.

"He lacks a child's innocents" stated Lord Gremory. "When I approached him from behind and surprised him, his reactions was not that of a child being surprised, but of a warrior who has been caught off-guard" concluded Lord Gremory. "I could even feel his fighting intent, though only for the briefest of moment and it was also very faint".

"Not to mention his calm attitude. Rather than being his core personality, that calmness of his is more of something that he wears. Like a mask that hides his true feelings" added Venelana.

"However, the weirdest part was, he was without a doubt a child. His body only shows a degree of a child's power, and not to mention that I couldn't feel anything out of place from that body of his. It's not like he is someone or something that masquerade as a child and tried to hide his real age" stated Lord Gremory with a confused expression.

"Sirzech" Venelana began with a tone that demand answers. "Who is that boy really? Where did you find him and which clan he belongs to?"

"Well~, Okaa-san~, first of all, he is just _Itachi_, Second, I found him in my garden, and lastly~!" Sirzech said in a voice that demands attention. "He is not a devil, but rather a human".

…..

…

….."What?" said Lord Gremory and Venelana at the same time, while Grayfia only sigh.

"As I said, he is just an ordinary human. Or at least that's what he told me" said Sirzech while remembering the time Itachi introduced himself.

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**(Flash back) [Sirzech's castle]**

"I am….just an ordinary human" said Itachi who then sip the tea that is served to him by Grayfia.

Both the Satan and his maid (wife) only raise their brows. _Great Red_, the Dragon of Dragons, shows interest in an ordinary human? What do he possess that makes a human receives _its _attention?

"Do you by chance possess a sacred gear?" asked Grayfia. There must be something about this boy and the only thing that could possibly makes a human special is a sacred gear.

"What is this sacred gear that you're talking about?" Itachi couldn't help but feels frustrated due to the seemingly endless new terminologies that are shoved to him today.

"Sacred Gears are God's artifacts. Its a powerful abilities that are bestowed upon humans by the God from the bible. It could take many forms depending on which types sacred gear the wielder has. Some Sacred Gears are even powerful enough to kill Gods and Satans" explained Sirzech.

Itachi contemplate about this information. Weapons and abilities created by God but have the capabilities to kill himself? Either God is very confident of his own power or suicidal. However his own musing was abruptly brought to an end when he realizes one thing.

"_Wait…If Sacred Gears are abilities bestowed upon human by God…..then is it possible that both sharingan and rinnegan can be classified as a type of Sacred Gear? No…in the first place, there's no such thing as 'God from the bible' in the elemental nations, but wait…..didn't Grayfia-san said 'Gods'?"_

Sirzech couldn't help but wonder what makes the boy to be deep in thought, and going to ask what's in his mind when the boy beats him to it.

"Grayfia-san, when you said 'Gods', did you mean that there's exist more than one God?" asked Itachi carefully. He didn't want to pry upon someone else's religious beliefs after all, especially the ones that he indebted to.

The woman noticed his cautious and only shows a relieving expression in return. Then she replied "Yes, there's exists many Gods which belongs to their respective religious. The common trait among Gods is that they usually beings of great power that surpasses even the ultimate class devil. In fact you've already met a being that can consider a God amongst Dragons"

"You mean _Great Red?_ That dragon is that powerful?"

"It is so powerful that it is considered as the most powerful being in existence. And to correct your misassumption, _Great Red_ powers far surpassed any other beings in existence including Gods" finished Grayfia.

"What are Dragons actually?" He needs to keep gathering information. It will not do if he encountered some powerful beings, and died because of his lacks of knowledge.

"They are beings that represent 'power'. And amongst them _Great Red_ stands on a completely different height" stated Grayfia.

"This is why things have becomes so complicated" began Sirzech. "Never before has that Dragon shows any interest in other creatures, and usually it only stays inside the dimensional gap, while ignoring everything's around it. However for some reason, it shows interest in you to the point of teleporting you here, to the underworld. Now, you sure you don't possess something that made it curious about you? A special Sacred Gear or something similar?"

Itachi run through his memories but, after a short time he came to the most obvious reason for the dragon's interest on him.

"_The Mangekyo Sharingan…." _thought Itachi. This will not do at all. If that dragon has become interested on his eyes, then he needs to consider the worst-case scenario. "_A battle against the strongest existence"_ thought Itachi solemnly.

"Do you know something?" asked Sirzech.

"No, I can't figure out why it's interested in me" lied Itachi. They have no need to know everything about him. Secrecy is what keeps a shinobi alive after all.

"Hm~, is that so~?" said Sirzech, again in his jovial tone.

"By the way Sirzech-sama" said Itachi in a very serious manner. Sirzech looks a bit surprised but then only say "Yes?"

"How could I repay you?" said Itachi. It's not a question, but rather a statement which shows that Itachi WILL 'repay' Sirzech for his hospitality.

Sirzech who didn't expect that kind of question only burst out laughing, but stop when Itachi repeat his question.

"How could I repay you?" Now THIS caused even Sirzech to sweat dropped. He really doesn't want anything from the boy, and he doubts the boy could do anything anyway in his current state. Grayfia, however impressed with the boy's humble attitude and shows of respect. It's not often that they can meet someone who is truly knows how to be grateful and respectful towards their elders these days.

"Ah…Ahahaha…."laughed Sirzech nervously. "Well then~ can you drop the 'sama'?" asked Sirzech nervously, but then starts to think that was a bad request, partly because of the boy's expression, and mainly because of his wife's left hand, which has its fingers being stretch at the moment.

….

…

…."Really? That's all? But won't it cause a problem later on? Especially since you are the leader of the Satans" questioned Itachi.

"It's alright! It's alright! I'm originally never wanted to become a Satan in the first place! Even if I look like this I also have a very huge dream!" said Sirzech in an attempt to convince the boy to drop the honorific.

"And that dream is?'

"TO BE A MUSIC COMPOSEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Sirzech's attempt to passionately declare his dream was cut when Grayfia hand shot out to his face and began pinching him. Hard.

With a sigh, Itachi said "Grayfia-san, it must be hard for you, to play 'tsukkomi' on your husband like this"

"Yes, especially since he always do this – wait. How did you figure out that I'm this man's wife?" Grayfia said, confused. After all, she never said anything to the boy regarding her relationship with 'this man'.

"It's not that hard really. You're just too perfect for a servant. You perfectly know his taste of tea and even the amount of sugars that he wants. You're always by his side and now this. I've never seen any other servants and masters who is very affectionate towards each other. So I conclude that either you are his secret lover which is unlikely considering the scandal that could arise from such relationship, or that you are Sirzech-san's wife who put herself in a servant's position. I simply pick the latter" concluded Itachi. Of course, being a very considerate person that he is, he didn't reveal how she would glance at Sirzech every second, how the middle finger and the pinky of her left hand would sometimes fidgeting as if to indicate that there's should be something on the ring finger and most importantly the same smell of perfume that both of them have. Of course there are many other signs, but it would be inappropriate to reveal it.

**(End Flash back)**

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"Just an…ordinary human you say?" asked Lord Gremory.

"Yes. There's no indication that he is a devil, angel or other supernatural beings. Therefore he could only be a human as he said" replied Sirzech.

"Explain to me, then" began Lord Gremory with a very serious tone. "If he is indeed a human like you said, then how a human child could possibly be able to get out of Rias's grasp. No, even before that, how could it be possible for him not to die or at least seriously injured when Rias hugged him. Surely you are aware of Rias's habit of hugging things with her full strength"

"Ma~. Wasn't it because children these days are very energetic? Really, even now I'm starting to find it difficult to follow Rias around" said Sirzech with a bright smile.

"_Like hell you are"_ was what ran through inside the rest of the adults minds.

"Be serious, Sirzech. You do realize how powerful our physical strength is compared to that of a human's." scolded Lord Gremory who slowly loses his patience with his son's attempt of not giving any answer.

"By chance, did you reincarnate him as one of your peerage?" asked Venelana. It's the only possible conclusion, since indeed it's almost impossible for a human child to survive being hugged by a demon using their full-power, even if said demon is also a child.

"No way~. I'm not desperate enough to find a candidate for another pawn, to the point where I would transform a child" explained Sirzech. Lord Gremory and Venelana only nodded, knowing full well the strength of Sirzech's current peerage. However unknown to them, there was another reason. The main reason as to why Itachi didn't or rather _couldn't_ became Sirzech's pawn, but the only two people who know this decided to keep this matter as a secret.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

**(Flash back) [Sirzech's castle]**

At the insistence of Grayfia and Itachi's own request to serves him, Sirzech reluctantly pulled out a red chess piece. More specifically it's the pawn piece. This is due to the fact that this is the only type of piece left that is still available in his possession. The rest were already being used to make other people members of his peerage.

"This is a pawn piece. When I inserted this piece into your body, you will be automatically transformed into a devil. Are you really sure this is what you want?" asked Sirzech.

Itachi only gives a nod as a sign of confirmation. His mind is already set. It will not do to just accept someone's kindness without even trying to repay them. If becoming a devil is something that he needs to accept in order for him to serve this man then he will gladly do so.

"_Not to mention, it seems that the physical features of a devil is very similar to that of a human"_ thought Itachi. Of course, these excludes the wings and the tail that they had shown him earlier.

Sirzech looks at him one last time, and then starts to bring the piece closer. Unexpectedly – or maybe expectedly, the piece does not respond to him. This makes Sirzech's wonder whether he needs more than one piece or pawn does not suit him. He brings two pawns together, nope, still no reaction. Three pawns, also still no reaction. It's last until the sixth, and Sirzech's hope that this will do, since he doesn't has any pieces left.

Fortunately the six pieces responded to him, and from the glows that comes out from the pawns, it signaled the beginning of Itachi's life as a devil.

Is what _should _be happening. The moment the pieces enter his body, violent reactions erupt from Itachi's body. Sirzech and Grayfia becomes very surprised at this scene, because never before something like this happens when an evil piece transform someone into a devil.

Itachi starts to struggle as if he suffers intense pain. Then both adults saw it. The evil pieces – the pawn pieces that should have been fused into him, were slowly being pushed out. Itachi struggle even more and both Sirzech and Grayfia had no choice but to held him down and told him to calm down. He continues to struggle and has a very painful expression, as if his soul is being reaped at the moment.

The struggling and the pain continue until finally all the evil pieces were out of his body. Sirzech who saw this tried to grab the pieces so that it could be inspected by his friend and fellow Satan – Ajuka. However the pieces crumbled to dust before he could even touch it.

Sirzech then looks at Grayfia who has a very confused expression and questioning eyes. He only shakes his head and slowly checks Itachi's conditions. He noticed however that the boy has fallen unconscious and gently picks him up and signaled Grayfia to prepare a bed for him to rest.

**(End Flash back)**

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Sirzech and Grayfia reminisces that event, and this time Grayfia decides to speak.

"The reason why we decided to bring that boy here is so that he will be able to receives the extensive educations of the house Gremory"

"What do you mean?" asked Venelana, confused. Why would they want a boy, a human boy not to mention, to receive the education of a Gremory levels?

"That boy seems to lack the knowledge regarding the society and the world, even the human world. He himself admitted of hailing from an isolated village. Thus to help him, we thought that it will be more effective for him to also learn about the underworld and supernatural matters too, considering that he's here already" explained Grayfia.

"Why don't you do it yourself then?" asked Lord Gremory.

"E~h? No way~. My duty as a Satan is already taxing enough and Grayfia also doesn't have the time to look after two children at the same time. Also don't you think this will be good for Rias?" said Sirzech.

"How does this going to be a good thing for Rias?" questioned Lord Gremory, puzzled with his son's intention. Sirzech however has his smile widen to the point that it almost split his face and only said two words.

"Childhood Friend" finished Sirzech as if it explains everything.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Now even Grayfia was speechless, mainly because Sirzech never told her this, and partially because of the idea that a human child becomes a childhood friend of a devil child is unthinkable.

"Or maybe another brother? Huhuhu…..but don't think you can hog Ria-tan all to yourself….Itachi-kun!" Sirzech began to speak to himself while being oblivious to the state of the three other adults.

"Are you serious, Sirzech? The matter of him being a human aside, how do you know that he can be trusted? As I said before he is not….."

"I think you need to think this through first Sirzech. Your decision can…."

"Have you seen his eyes?" Sirzech cut both his parents words and instead questioned them with intense gaze.

"His…eyes?" questioned Lord Gremory.

"Once you've seen his eyes, you WILL understand why I made this decision" finished Sirzech with a tone of finality.

"…."

"…."

"Besides it won't do any good for Ria-tan if she only has the Sitri princess as her friend, right~? I believe the presences of a male her age will have a great influence on her" added Sirzech.

Both Gremory contemplate about this, Lord Gremory more so than his wife, due to his great love for his children as a pure Gremory. His contemplation however, comes to an end when he remembered something important in what Sirzech said.

"Sirzech, what do you mean when you said Grayfia couldn't look after two children?"

"Well~, that's another reason why we're here! The truth is…" However Sirzech couldn't finish his sentence due to the sudden female scream.

"KKKKYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

!

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**[Gremory castle – Forest area]**

"_This is bad….How could I be so careless?!"_ Itachi mentally scolded himself.

In front of him is an abomination of some sort. It looks like a spider, but possess similar features as a human, limbs and hands with opposable thumbs, and a gigantic mouth on the middle of its chest. Its colour is red and Itachi could only guess that the green spheres on its head are the eyes.

Currently it's holding Rias in its right hand, and if Itachi's guess is right then it intends to eat her. However, it only swings Rias around in front of him as if to taunt him to try and save her.

"…_."_ No words are needed. He silently dash forward to the abomination with the sole intention of saving his new friend.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx

**(Flash back) **

Rias never stop talking ever since she dragged Itachi with her. She talks about many things and seemingly happy to have her first male friend. Unfortunately, said boy is still deep in thought regarding the matter of Rias mother's appearance and didn't pay attention to her.

"_Was it some kind of jutsu to slow the aging process? Or perhaps this is the results of magic which change one's age?"_ Itachi couldn't help but keep thinking about Venelana's appearance. While he had seen an old hag (Tsu*EHEM!*de) who made herself looks younger through the use of jutsu, but he can still clearly see the aspect which makes it clear that her appearance is a result of a jutsu. However, in Venelana's case, he couldn't help but feels how natural it is for her to look that young. If he didn't know that she is Sirzech and Rias mother, then he would definitely believe her if she claims to be 17. He also couldn't see anything that indicates her hiding her true appearance.

"Was she perhaps…an immortal?" _"No, it can't be…..in the first place immortality is…,hmm?"_ Itachi stop his train of thought when he saw Rias glaring at him with her mouth making a 'mumumu…' sound. Now, this will be a cute scene to behold, if not for the fact that she radiates red aura from her body, similar to Sirzech when he saw Rias hugged him.

"Is there's something wrong?"

"Did you hear anything that I said?"

"About what?" asked Itachi, confused.

"Hmph! It's nothing, Baka-tachi!" yelled Rias, who then decides to stomp away. This only serves to further confused Itachi especially since he doesn't remember doing anything that might offend the little girl. So he could only watch the figure of said girl marching away silently and after a moment turns back to his own musing.

"_Maybe she gave birth at a very young age? No…that's physically impossible. If Sirzech-san's appearance is any indication then that means she should already live for at least four or five decades"_ It's a shame that Sirzech didn't explain to him how all devils possess a very long lifespan. Sirzech himself is the proof, since he already lives for more than two centuries and yet still looks very young. If only Sirzech explain this aspect of devil to Itachi, he won't be so hung up on this matter, and have this dilemma. Not to mention that his mind is so concentrated on this matter that he failed yet again to register the return of a certain red-haired girl.

GRAB!

"…Hmm?"

"MOU~! Why didn't you follow me?" asked Rias, anger visible on her face.

"…..Why should I?" replied Itachi. He doesn't know why the girl wanted him to follow her and she never told him to do so. So he has no reason to follow her, especially since she was looking angry at him.

"Guuuu….." Rias trembled and based on his own experience, Itachi knows that this is the moment that she's going to explode. But as if to betray his expectation, Rias, instead of being angry is now looking sad while staring at the ground.

"Even though I wanted to introduced you to Luna-chan….."

"Luna….chan?" Itachi could only guess who this 'Luna-chan' is, and again based on his own experience, he guess that it's her pet. Unfortunately, he based this on girls from elemental nations and not the girls of this world.

"Yes! This is my friend, 'Sailor Luna-chan'!" Rias brought out a doll – or rather, an action figure. It's the type of things that an otaku purchase from the place called Akihabara with price range from thousands to tens of thousands yen based on its rarity.

"…..."

"Onii-tama bought it for me a while ago, and he said it's a gift from the ruler there" Of course she doesn't know that what Sirzech means by ruler is the corporation who is responsible for creating and selling the action figures.

"So….Here! It's for you!" Rias forcefully shoved the action figure into Itachi's hands. Itachi only look at said figure for a moment, before look up to Rias, and then look back at the action figure. This continues for a full minute before he decides to speak.

"Why do you give this to me?"

"Because you're my friend!" Rias said simply which make Itachi raise a brow at her proclamation.

"It came as a pair when Oni-tama bought it. He said that if I give half the pair to a person that I consider a friend, then it will create an everlasting bond between me and that person" Of course Rias doesn't know that Sirzech said those line simply to make things looks more dramatic for her.

"….."

"I actually wanted to give it to Sona, but she refused it" whined Rias.

"Why?"

"She said it's too childish for a high-rank devil" finished Rias.

"…..Heh…." Itachi suddenly smiled after he heard that.

"Ah~, mou~! You're making fun of me aren't you!" pouted Rias.

"No….It's just…I couldn't fathom why you called me your friend even though we've just met. And no, I'm not making fun of your taste. People have different taste regarding certain things, and your love for this _doll_ is certainly what helps define you" finished Itachi. Of course being a child, Rias couldn't fully comprehend what Itachi said and could only understand that he didn't make fun of her hobby. Seeing her confusion, Itachi only gives a warm smile and decides to simplify what he said.

"To put it simply, I don't understand the reason why you make me your friend"

"You don't want to?" said Rias with a down expression.

"…."

Rias now seems to become very sad to the point that she looks like she's going to cry due to the boy's silence. However it was further escalated when she heard the boy's answer.

"Yes" Now, Rias is looking down with tears gathering in her eyes. Itachi who saw this couldn't help but smile at the child's innocent. He slowly lifts up his right hand and called her name.

"Rias-san"

"W-what?" asked Rias while sniffling.

POKE

Itachi poked Rias on the forehead and Rias who receives Itachi's trademark poking could only stumble and fall butt first.

"Just joking…."

"…Eh?"

"I don't mind becoming your friend, Rias-san"

…..

….

….."!" The ground under Rias seems to crack and red aura surrounds her again, but this time it is far more intense than before. But it slowly diminishes when Itachi offers his hand to help her stand.

"I'm sorry…It seems I went overboard a bit" Well if almost making a girl cries and fall to the ground can be consider a bit.

"HMMPPHH!" Rias only threw her head to the side, the typical gesture of 'no, I won't forgive you'. Itachi sweat dropped at this, it seems he really had gone overboard in teasing this young girl.

"Is there anything that I can do to earn your forgiveness Rias-san?"

….

…

…"Don't call me Rias-san….."

"Hm?"

"Just call me Rias! Friends don't use honorifics when they called each other's name!" scolded Rias. Itachi could only blink but then he smiled again.

"Fine then….Will you forgive me….Rias?

"Of course!" said Rias while smiling brightly and grabbing Itachi's hand who slowly pull her up.

"For this too….." Itachi suddenly added.

"Eh?"

POKE

"MOU~!" whined Rias. Itachi only smile, but then decides to ask a question regarding a certain something.

"By the way, Rias, what should I do with this?" Itachi pointed at the action figure on his hand.

"Keep it of course! You better take good care of it, alright?"

"…. (*sigh*) Understood"

"Ah! Do you want to see 'Kamen-kun'?! ('Kamen-kun?') Yes, it's the one that came with 'Luna-chan'! I'm gonna go get him so you better stay still, okay?" Without even waiting for his reply, Rias dashed off towards the castle. Itachi could only shakes his head a bit and turn his attention to the action figure.

"_Friends, huh…"_ That word is not just any word for Itachi who murdered all his friends and then labeled as traitor by the village that he loves except for the few that knows the truth. His own musing is brought to an abrupt end, because he could feel that something is not right. Following his instinct, he quickly runs off to catch up with Rias, but after only a few steps, he could feel a bloodlust on the air and decides to stop. It's not the kind of bloodlust where one saw someone he wanted to kill – no, this is the kind of bloodlust where a predator saw its prey and decides to eat it.

Slowly he follows the trail of the bloodlust and realizes that it came from the direction where Rias ran off to. So he quickly dash to where Rias is and prepare himself to face whatever emitted this bloodlust.

"KKKKKYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"!" He increases his speed and to people with untrained eyes, he would appear as a simple black blur.

Quickly he reaches a clearing and saw Rias being held up by an abomination.

**(End Flash back)**

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Itachi formulate plans upon plans while he runs around the abomination. He swiftly dodges the creature's attempt to crush him and launch himself for his first strike. His fist hit the creature's flesh, but then he noted that the creature doesn't seem to be affected by it. He dodges another attack from it, while continuing to create plans to break the creature's grip on Rias.

Then all of a sudden the creature leaps towards Itachi. Itachi managed to dodge, but not after he analysed the creature's leaping ability.

"_I see….It has an exceptional leaping ability, but from the way it landed, it seems to lack the ability to maneuver on mid-air. I might be able to use this to my advantage"_ He saw the creature leaps for the second time and by now Itachi already sure that it couldn't control itself mid-air. So he quickly formulates a plan to save Rias by using the creature's disadvantage when it leaps.

"_All I need is a single chance and something very sharp and long. After that it will comes to its own death"_ Itachi searches around for a sharp object that he could use while at the same time dodging the creature's attempt to kill him. Suddenly it rushes at him, but again, Itachi managed to swiftly dodge and avoid receiving injuries. The same couldn't be said for Rias and the creature that broke trees on its rush.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" screamed Rias who is now fallen unconscious due to the force to her head. Itachi saw this and then decide that he must not prolong his plan anymore.

"_I need to quickly finish this!"_ With that Itachi quickly resume his search and then noticed a sharp looking long piece of wood from the result of the creature's attack.

"_This must do…..I couldn't risk Rias safety more than this"_ With that he quickly grabs the wood and retreats a far distance away from the creature. But then he crouches down on the soil as if to tempt the creature to eat him.

The abomination only cracks its neck, as if to say it was confuse by its prey decision. But due to its hunger and seemingly low level of knowledge, it didn't bother thinking its action thoroughly.

It decides to leap again and finishes of the boy for good, instead of rushing through to him in fear that he will dodge its attempt to eat him again. The boy saw this and only let a small smile grace his lips.

"_Got you….."_ He dodge the creature's attack, but this time the creature lets out a shriek of pain and blood poured out from its belly. It trashing around and unintentionally threw Rias away from its grip. Itachi quickly catch Rias, check for any possible injuries and noted that she is just fallen unconscious. He then directed his gaze back to the creature and sees that it still thrashing around.

"It's useless to struggle. I imbued my own chakra into that piece of wood, by doing so I increase its sharpness to the point that it can even cut through the ground. It's a technique that I acquired by briefly looking and copied when I fought together with the eight-tails jinchuriki. I don't know what you are, why you are here, but don't worry I will make this quick."

He quickly flashes several hand seals before trying to unleash the Uchiha clan's trademark fire technique.

"_**KATON: Gokakyu no juts…..!"**_

His attempt to unleash the fire technique was stop, because of a sudden intense pain that comes from inside his body. He could feel it. It's as if his body is being exploded from the inside. Every blood vessel, muscle tissues and even his brain feels like it will explode anytime. He was sure however that this is not due to him lacking chakra – no, if the chakra is depleted then the person will suffers fatigue. This however feels like something inside of him forced itself to come out, like something has forcefully taken over his chakra.

"Agh…..GAH...!" He spit blood out of his mouth and drops to the ground, pained expression on his face. His battle with his own body, however made him failed to notice that the creature had manage to set itself free. He looks up at the towering abomination and in that moment he was sent flying and landed near Rias.

Bloodied, he stood up and look at Rias sleeping's face. Then he looks at the abomination who is now rushing to them. He then decided that retreat is the best course of action, with his condition as it is.

Quickly he carries Rias bridal style and attempt to run, but find that his legs couldn't move as he wanted to due to the pain.

The creature took this chance to close their distance, and quickly swat Itachi's body away. Itachi holds Rias tightly, but then slammed into a tree.

"Ugh!" Itachi grunted in pain. He now looks tiredly to Rias and gives a small smile when he sees that she doesn't seems injured. He then noticed the shadow that loom over them and calmly looks up. The creature seems to savor every moment it has in tormenting the boy, and if Itachi doesn't know better, he could swear that he saw the creature laughing at him.

As it is the only thing keeping him from passing out is his concern for his friend. He couldn't care less if he got eaten and die (again), but he won't let such fate befell his friend. So he only stares at the creature eyes while hoping that his body would hold out when he muttered that word.

"_**TSU…..KU…YO….MI…."**_

And then the world went dark.

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When Sirzech, Grayfia, Lord Gremory and Venelana arrive, they saw the scene of carnage and fear the worst. Quickly they look around and see an abomination of some sort tries to eat both the boy and the red-haired girl who is embraced by the boy. In anger, Sirzech used his power of destruction to obliterate the creature, seemingly killing it. What they failed to noticed however, is that said creature already died a moment before they arrived as a result of its mind getting destroyed.

All the adults – except for Grayfia who instruct the servants to set up a perimeter and search for any sign of teleportation magic used to teleport the creature here – went to the children's side and fearing that they are too late. A feeling that is reinforced when they see Itachi's bloodied form. However to their relieved, they found out that Rias is only unconscious, but the same couldn't be said for Itachi whose body is covered by bloods and injuries.

Lord Gremory tried to separate his daughter from the boy's embrace so that they can treated him, but found out that it's really difficult to do so. It's like the boy is dead set in protecting the girl and won't let her out of his embrace out of fear of what might happens to her.

It's then that Lord Gremory saw it. Though the boy is unconscious, but his eyes are still open, and Lord Gremory could see the fire on his eyes. It's not the eyes of a cold-blooded warrior, but rather a caring person who possess great love inside him. He then remembered what his son said.

"_Have you seen his eyes?"_

"_Once you've seen his eyes, you WILL understand why I made this decision"_

"….pfft…Hahahahahaha~! Lord Gremory burst out laughing. His wife, his son and his wife and the rest of the servants couldn't understand what he found funny in this time of emergency.

"I understand….! Now I finally understand! Sirzech! I understand why you made _that _decision! Come! All of you! Help me separate my daughter from this boy – no, this young man, so that we can treat him!" boomed Lord Gremory. Venelana and the servants become confused at what the head of Gremory talks about, while Sirzech and Grayfia shares a knowing smile and proceed to help said man.

It took them almost half an hour to successfully separate the two children. They then proceed to give an emergency first aid (using healing magic, of course) to the young man, and proceed to carried him to one of the room so that he can received extensive treatment. It took them five days before they finally finish mending every injury on his body.

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**[Gremory castle – guest room]**

"_I am…alive?"_ was what went through the young Uchiha's mind the moment his consciousness return. His eyes move around to take the details of the room that he is currently in. Then he tried to move his body, but feels really tired and so decides to forget about it. His attention however is taken by a sudden voice.

"Oh~, you're finally awake, sleeping beauty." Surprisingly the one who said that was not Sirzech, but rather Lord Gremory.

"You've been asleep for eight nights now since that day when you protected my daughter" Lord Gremory explained with a smile.

"What happened?"

"Well…." Lord Gremory continues to explain what happens while and after he was treated by them in details. He explains how the security of the castle has been increased to how they are now searching for the culprit who teleport that abomination here. However Itachi's mind is only concern about one thing.

"What happened to Rias? Is she alright?"

Lord Gremory's smile become wider, and he prompt Itachi to looks to his right. True enough, Rias sleeping face can be seen and based on the expression on her face and the trail of tears, Itachi realizes that she was crying just now. She was holding 'Sailor Luna-chan' on her right hand and based on what she said then the man on her left hand must be 'Kamen-kun'.

"She won't stop crying you know?" said Lord Gremory, grabbing Itachi's attention. "She kept asking when you will wake up, and what should she do so that you can get better and then wake up. She won't stop talking about you the past eight days and she even ignored Sirzech's attempt to cheer her. Do you even realize how worried she is?"

"…"

"Seriously, kids these days. That being said..." Lord Gremory stands up from his chair and looks at Itachi in the eyes. "Thank you….and…..I'm sorry".

"….For what?"

"For protecting my daughter and for doubting you" With that Lord Gremory left the room to allows the young man to rest.

Itachi looks at the figure of Lord Gremory before looking back to Rias and then decides to rest once more.

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It took another three days before Itachi's fully recovered, and on that time, Rias wouldn't stop bugging him (she said a sick person needs to be spoon-fed) and so he gave up to the inevitable (letting Rias took care of him). Sirzech on the other hand, became depressed when he saw this and keep muttering 'how lucky he is to be spoon-fed by Ria-tan' and 'how he wants to be cared by Ria-tan, too'. Of course this resulted in punishments by Grayfia. Lord Gremory and Venelana, meanwhile only looks amused at the interactions of the youngsters. And now is the day when they will part ways. Rias really looks like she's going to cry which caused both Sirzech and Lord Gremory to spoil her.

"Now then~, it's time for us to go~" said Sirzech jovially while Grayfia prepares a magic circle.

Itachi couldn't help but wonder why they didn't use one of those magic circles to come here, instead of carriage. But his thought was halted when he feels someone grab his hand.

"Hm?" As he suspected, it was Rias. She looks like a girl who just lost her puppy with her expression, so he tried to gives a few words of comfort. But, again, before he could do so…..

HUG

He was hug again.

"….Rias?"

"Promise me that you've come to play, okay?" said Rias with a restraint voice. Itachi couldn't help but smile at that.

"…Okay"

"Huhuhu….." Now, Itachi is very sure who emitted this feeling of dread.

"Ria-tan's hug….how nice…"

But it quickly disappeared, replaced by a sudden screaming of You-know-who as the result of punishment from You-Know-Who. Itachi gently pushes Rias away and Rias only pouted at this.

"Well then, Sirzech-san, let's go"

"Huh? What are you talking about? You're not coming back with us. You're going to live here from now on" replied Sirzech seriously.

…..

…

…."What?"

"As I said you will live here from now on. Even Okaa-san and Oto-san already agreed with it"

Itachi only look at the adults Gremory and sure enough they give a nod saying that their son speaks the truth.

"…"

"By the way Sirzech, I am still curious about that thing" said Lord Gremory.

"What thing?"

"The one about children"

"Ah~, that one~. Itachi-kun do you know the reason why we didn't use magic circles back then and used carriage instead? (shake) Well~, since I'm going to be a father, I might as well have a mock conversation training for when my child is born~" explained Sirzech.

"A father?"

"Yes~"

"…."

"…."

"….."

All eyes stares at Grayfia who becomes embarrassed and patted her belly.

"That means I'm going to become a grandfather?"

"Yes~"

Happiness erupted from Lord Gremory. For Gremory clan who has extraordinary level of affection, this kind of thing is one that surely brought tears and joys to them. Even Itachi couldn't help but let out a thin smile when he saw this as he was reminded of that time when Sasuke was born.

However the moment of happiness was brought to an end when Rias who doesn't understand why her father is cheering grabbed his hand. She then proceeds to drop the bomb.

"Otou-sama, can I sleep with Itachi?" pleaded Rias innocently.

Spring becomes winter in an instant. The room temperature dropped immediately. Heartwarming gaze from the men slowly turns into a cold murderous stare. Killing intent becomes so thick that it can be seen by the naked eyes. Red aura envelops the entire castle and even the servants become frightened at this. And all of this is directed at a single young man who only stares passively at the scene in front of him. The women on the other hand only let out a tired sigh.

"I can't?"

"No…Of course you can" Lord Gremory smiled although his eyes said otherwise. He gave the young man a very intense stare that literally said 'if you do anything to her, even death wouldn't save you from what you will experience'.

Itachi could only sigh.

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**[Gremory castle – Rias room]**

Itachi opens his eyes after making sure that Rias is asleep. He couldn't help but feel tired after all the things that happen in the past two weeks. He then proceed to do what he intended to do but couldn't because someone (Rias) keeps bothering him.

He stands in front of a mirror and only muttered one word.

"_**Sharingan!"**_

With that his eyes change from black to red with three little tomoe on it. He was surprised when he saw his reflection, because of what the sharingan shows him.

His chakra is not there. It's not that his chakra has disappeared. No, it's because there are two different colours that should not be there. These are not something from his body, these are something foreign, these colours overwhelm his chakra, completely covering it up and if his eyes does not deceives him then these colours – whatever it represents, seemingly battle each other to be the dominant force in his body.

"_Not good….."_ He deduced that whatever these things are, they're the ones responsible for his pain when he tried to use a ninjutsu. And if the pain were any indications, then using a ninjutsu would be fatal for him. He then notice that one of the colour seems very familiar, a red colour that is very wild. He comes to a sudden realization that this red colour is the same as the one that _Great Red _enveloped him with. But then a question popped up on his head.

"_If the red one comes from Great Red…then who was responsible for this unfathomable colour? No... In the first place, who brought me __here__? Great Red only transported me to the Underworld, but who was responsible for reviving me and placing me in this world? What is going on here…?" _

Itachi keep asking questions after questions in his mind, from the purpose of his existence here to the goals of whomever – whatever brought him here. But the sound from his back made him stop his train of thought. When he looks back, he saw the sleeping form of Rias who is currently sleep-talking. She flapped her hands as if she lost something to hug in her sleep. Itachi sigh and decides to go back to bed so as not to awake the little girl, because he's not there for her to hug.

Itachi could only let out a small sigh when the girl cuddles his head to her chest. Of course being an adult (in a child's body), he would not get stimulated nor embarrassed by this due to his amazing self-control. Not to mention, he himself is severely lacking in that department and has zero interest in it. But the same couldn't be said for the girl who is currently hugging him on her sleep.

"_Well, sooner or later, she would prefer to sleep alone anyway. It's not like she's going to insist on sleeping together when she is older"_ was what Itachi thought before sleep claims him.

Oh…. he doesn't realize how wrong he was.

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**[?]**

"So? Was that enough for demonstration?"

"Demonstration of what? The abilities of the creature that you pulled from that parallel universe?"

"No….I meant the strength of that man's eyes"

"…."

"Even though he suffered from the modifications that I gave him, he still able to finish it nicely, I think that's enough reason for you to use him"

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Putting him inside the dimensional gap and modifying his body"

"Because it's interesting"

"…."

"As to why I modified him, I simply wondering how he will fare if I put a power with a contradicted nature to that of chakra in his body. Well, I certainly didn't expect for the _'dream'_ to gives him another set of power. But it proves to make things even more interesting"

"What makes you sure that the _'dream' _didn't detect a disturbance in his body?"

"Simple, it's out of date compared to me. Well, _everything _is out of date compared to me, including you of course. After all _even though you're the one who ruled over death, but unlike me who stands __**above the system**__, you're still a __**part of the system**_"

"…What if he died in that fight, because he couldn't control or his body couldn't contain those powers?"

"Then that's all there is to it for him. I really don't care whether he died being eaten or because his body self-destruct, as long as it serves to brings about interesting events. And besides, it is you who want to use those eyes to control the '_dream' _and the '_infinity' _and the one who will be troubled if he died"

….

…

"…What are you scheming?"

"Nothing"

"Don't lie to me. If you've got nothing then you could pulled out the one who has stronger eyes than him from the _'pure world'_, that way the risk of failure is…."

"Even if I pulled that man out of there, you wouldn't be able to control him. And besides he still serves as the enemy of another world heroes and I don't want to ruin that interesting battle"

"…"

"Do you have anything more to say? No? Well then, I'll take my leave"

"….wass…"

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"_Now then…."_

"_How will you make things even more interesting for this world, Uchiha Itachi..?"_

**Aaaaaaaaand finish the second chapter! Bits of information for those of you who doesn't know. Sirzech is a siscon while Rias has an otaku side in the novel. And if you don't know who 'Sailor Luna-chan' and 'kamen-kun' are, they're parody of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen from the manga/anime sailor moon. By the way, I've got exams coming up next week so I don't think I can update as fast as this one. Please be patient! I need to pass the exams or else my parents wouldn't let me use the internet ever again!**

**Rate and reviews folks!**


	3. Peerages, Satans and Magical girl

**This chapter is dedicated to the victims of hurricane Sandy, and, especially my friends and the followers of this story who lives and/or currently in America and other areas affected by it. I hope you guys alright and I wish to hear from you guys again soon. God bless you. **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 3

**Peerages, Satans and Magical Girl**

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**[Gremory castle]**

It has been more than a year now since Itachi began living with Gremory clan. In that amount of time, he was taught basic magic knowledge, the general knowledge such as math, science, the anatomy of devils and other creatures and the knowledge regarding Underworld's history, especially the matters of the Great War between the three great powers and the war between anti-Satan faction against old-Satan faction. Of course, even if the information that was given to him seemingly covers every detail regarding those events, he knows that it simply a tip of the iceberg. There's more to it then what were taught to him. However he decided to just leave it be for now and investigate the matters once his body is older, stronger, and obtains the information needed to face whatever lies ahead.

Now, let's move on to the more pressing issues. This past year, he appreciates everything that was given to him. Although it still not sits well for him to receive such kind hospitality without having to pay it back. However due to the insistence of Lord Gremory who declare that this is nothing compared to what he has done for her daughter, he could only resigned and accepts it. Unknown to them however, Itachi still plans to pay back their hospitality anyway. However his greatest concern is not regarding his inability to control the two colours which resides inside him (all he could do at the moment was isolating his chakra so that it won't be pulled into the battle between the two colours).

No, his greatest concern is about a young girl who won't stop forcing him to watch television shows called _anime_ with her – every day – as she insisted that it's a necessary (unnecessary) education to understand human world's cultures. His attempts of learning about the human world from the tutor were abruptly brought to an end after only a few days due to Rias declarations.

"_If it's about the human world, then let me be the one to teach Itachi!"_

"_Don't worry! I know lots of thing about the human world"_

"_Souji said if it's the human world, then it can only be samurai and bushido!"_

"_So from now on we can watch this together!"_

Itachi massages his temple as he remembered the time when Rias made those declarations and pulled out an anime DVD called 'Samurai Cross'. He couldn't believe how long this anime is (having watched it every day and still nowhere near the end). Not to mention, he got the feeling – no, he was sure that Rias had somehow been misled by this _'Souji'_ regarding the society and culture of the human world and made a mental note to have a _'private discussion' _when he get the chance to meet the man.

As it is, he got no choice but to learn everything about the human world by himself, partially due to the servants reluctance to disobey their princess and mainly because they found it amusing. So every night he sneaks out and stealthily enters the library when everyone is asleep.

However reminiscing about this brought an even bigger headache. He has severely underestimated Rias' sleeping habit. Although he has no problem sleeping with her every night (as he accounted it to a young girl who wanted to sleeps with her friend) however her habit of cuddling his head to her chest is extremely problematic. He has no problem with it since he has no interest in this kind of thing, but having learnt the so called _'otaku culture' _courtesy of Rias, he could not help but be worry for her in the future, especially if she encounter people with _a certain taste a.k.a Lolicon. _

He could only imagine what kind of reactions these kinds of people have if she hugs them in her sleep.

"_I need to do something about her sleeping habit. It will be problematic if she keeps this habit when she's grown up. It might cause misunderstanding when she sleeps with other people" _is what Itachi thought. However, what he doesn't realize is that Rias does not have this tendency when she sleeps with people other than him. Well, this is to be expected since he never saw her sleeping with other people – except for him – all this time.

"Itachi~"

"Itachi-sama"

Come two voices that he knew very well who the owners are.

"Rias, Enku-san" Itachi greets them.

This is Enku, Sirzechs's pawn who were assigned to be Rias caretaker after the incident that happened months ago. Enku is a Kirin, a legendary creature that is said to bring wealth and fortune upon people. He insists to call Itachi with the honorific 'sama' after he heard how Itachi protected Rias with his body and though Itachi tried to persuade Enku not to call him that, he learnt firsthand that time how stubborn a Kirin can be. In addition, Itachi couldn't help but be reminded of Sasuke's lightning jutsu whenever he saw the creature.

"Where are you going?" Rias asked curiously. She has planned to spend the rest of the day with Itachi and she was hoping that he has free time as well.

"I simply going to do some errands for the servants" It's not a lie, but it's not the truth either. He has done the errands for the servants and now he going to use his free time for training his control over the colours (though he had no doubt that it will be the same as before, but that doesn't mean he will gives up).

"Mou~, you don't have to do that kind of thing you know?" complain Rias.

"It's not that I do it because I have to do it, I do it because I want to do it for the servants. It also gives me experiences on how to do chores and the likes of it" explain Itachi. Of course he hides the real reasons as to why he did this. Although mainly he simply wants to be helpful, but by doing errands like this he got a chance to explore various hot spots that are likely the places where information dealers dwelled. Not to mention this errands are very similar to D-rank missions that he did in the past, so he got no problem with it.

"Mu~. Itachi. You sure get along well with the servants. Hah! Don't tell me! You have someone that you like among the maids?!" Rias accused, visibly shocked at the prospect of Itachi being taken away by one of her servant.

"No I'm not" replied Itachi simply.

"Mou~ don't lie to me! I know boys who lives in a castle love to have a relationship with their maid!" pressed Rias.

…..

…

….."What anime was that from?"

"It's not from an anime! It's from this manga called…AH!" Rias brought out a manga, but before she could tell him the name, Itachi snatched the manga away from her. He then starts reading it and true enough the story of the manga is about an unfortunate maid who fell in love with her master and vice versa. After reading the manga quickly, he closed it with a definite 'thump' and closes his eyes. After a few second he opens his eyes and look at Rias passively.

"Rias"

"Wh-what?"

POKE

"Mou~!" Rias crossed her hands on her forehead that just got poke by Itachi.

"You really shouldn't take everything that this book shows seriously. Many, if not all that happens in this book is the product of the author's imaginations" explain Itachi.

"So it's not real?"

"Yes"

"So it won't happen in the real world?"

"Yes"

"So…there won't be any maid who will try to snatch you away from me…" whispered Rias in a relieve tone.

"Hm?" Itachi couldn't quite hear what Rias said just now.

"It's nothing!" replied Rias with an embarrass look.

"EHEM"

Both Rias and Itachi turn their attentions towards Enku and sure enough he looks amused, as if he saw something really entertaining.

"As entertaining as it is to watch you two, but I am afraid that we have something that needs to be done. Itachi-sama" Enku called out to Itachi.

"What is it?"

"Sirzechs-sama asked me to tell you to go and meet him in his castle this afternoon, but I am afraid I have no idea what he wants from you" explain Enku.

"No, it's alright. Thank you, Enku-san" replied Itachi. He then turns his attention to Rias who looks disappointed.

"So…you can't play with me?" ask Rias, saddened that she couldn't spend any time with Itachi today.

….

…..

…...

POKE

"Ah! Mou~!" Rias pouted at this.

"Forgive me, Rias…next time, alright?" Itachi said with a warm smile.

"Okay…" Rias reluctantly agreed, and from her experiences she knows that Itachi will fulfill his promise.

Itachi could only smile at this, an expression that is shared by Enku. He then turns his back and starts walking away, but not before leaving his last remark.

"Rias"

"What?"

"Don't eat too much cake or you will become fat" said Itachi with a teasing tone.

"HMPH!" Rias only cross her arms and throw her head to the side. Enku's smile grows wider at this, but unfortunately Rias noticed this.

"Enku~! What's so funny?!" Rias asked while visibly upset that her caretaker also teasing her.

"It is nothing, Ojou-sama" Enku said while chuckling, which caused Rias to become more upset.

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"_Now then, what should I do while waiting for the appointed time?" _thought Itachi. His plan of training to hone his chakra and attempt to gain control of the colours inside him was scrap, partially because he does not want to look messed up when he meet Sirzechs and mainly because he wants to keep this matter a secret from anyone. His musing was cut when he feel a presence behind him, one that he is very familiar with.

"What is that you want, 'Jii-san'?" Itachi asked without turning his head around, because he knows who is behind him. It's one of the oldest butlers of Gremory clan, and the one who is trusted the most by Lord Gremory.

"Aaah. Itachi-kun, I'm sorry but could you go to the market and give this money to the tailor? I'm afraid that the master needs me to do something for him and I could not possibly neglect one responsibility for the other. Unfortunately the other servants still have something that needs to be done" explained 'Jii-san' tiredly. It's to be expected since he looks very old and if what Rias said is true, then this old man already lived for more than 800 years.

"Alright 'Jii-san', I'll do it for you. I have nothing to do at the moment anyway" replied Itachi.

"Aaaaah. Thank you Itachi-kun… I'm sorry for always be a burden to you" said 'Jii-san' while handing the money over to Itachi.

"It's nothing 'Jii-san'. I also need something to do to fill my free time" assured Itachi with a smile. He then continues walking while planning to spend a bit amount of time looking around the market after he delivered the money.

Unfortunately, he does not realize what kind of ordeal awaits him in that place.

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**[Underworld – market]**

"300…350…400! Yep! It's the correct amount! Thank you for the business, kid!" said the tailor with a very wide grin. Itachi only nod at this and proceeds to walk out of the store.

"_Now then…I guess I'll start looking around from…hm?"_ His train of thought was stop when he saw a crowd looking excited at something. Itachi couldn't help but wonder what's going on.

"_Is there something going on there?"_ Curiosity can kill the cat is really appropriate to be used here. If only Itachi was not curious, then not only he could come to the appointment on time, he could also avoid future predicaments caused by this encounter. The moment he joins the crowd….

"Hai~, Hai~! It's everyone's idol~! Magical Levia-tan~!"

Is the kind of introduction that came from the center of the crowd. For some reason he got a feeling of impending doom when he heard that voice. However he shrugs it off, because he clearly never heard that voice before. After slipping through several adults and children, he then saw who caused this commotion and his thought is clearly shown on his blank face.

…

…..

….

"_A….magical….girl…."_ True enough in front of him is a magical girl. However it's not the kind of magical girl that looks like witches from medieval era – no, this is the kind of magical girl that appears in manga and anime and usually labeled as _mahou shoujo_.

Said mahou shoujo is a girl with child-like body, but possess large breasts (Itachi doesn't even want to think how someone with a childish body could possess something like that). She has long black hair tied into two ponytails, beautiful child-like face and violet eyes. But of course the most striking feature is the clothes that she is wearing right now. Not to mention, for some reason Itachi could see stars in her words.

"Hai~! Everyone~! Thank you for your kind supports~!" said the mahou shoujo with a wink. Well if surrounding her and taking photos of her doing poses and so on can be considered kind supports.

"WOOOAAAAAAAAAAAA~!" The crowd cheers due to her remarks and some of the adults even fainted due to her extremely cute wink and expression. However none of those have any effects on Itachi who only looks at the scene passively.

…

…

"…._It's time to go"_ thought Itachi who then proceeds to turns his back to the commotion and starts walking away. However this single act which is very different than the rest of the crowd caused him to stand out in the eyes of a certain mahou shoujo.

"Ah~! Wait~! Wait~! Where are you going~?! The young man in black~! Wait~!" yelled the mahou shoujo in a very childish voice. However said young man only continue to walks away with a passive expression on his face.

"MOU~! I said, WAIT~!" The mahou shoujo yelled from right behind him.

Itachi only let out a small sigh and slowly turns to face the mahou shoujo. True enough, said girl looks upset for being ignored by the young man in front of her.

"Ha~! Finally, you stop~. Hey, wait, what's with that face~!" whined the girl. This is due to Itachi who only shows a disinterest expression in facing a seemingly real live mahou shoujo (cosplayer).

"….What is it that you want...?" Itachi asked simply. He really doesn't want to have anything to do with her, and not to mention if this keeps up, he will be running out of time.

"Ah~! Mou~! Can't you show a bit enthusiasm in your voice~? You sound just like So-tan just now, you know~?" pouted the mahou shoujo while crossing her arms and throwing her head to the side with her eyes closed.

….

…

….

"…._No replies?"_ thought the mahou shoujo. Because she closed her eyes, she's not aware that Itachi already resume his walking and by now already quite far from her location.

Slowly she opened her eyes and then her expression turns to one of pure shock due to the disappearance of the young man.

"Ah~! Where are you~?! Neh~! Did anyone see where he goes?" cried the mahou shoujo with a very cute expression. This caused the adults, especially the men to unite as one and pointed at a certain direction, as if to give a punishment to the male who dared upsetting such a cute girl.

"Thank you everyone~! I love you~!" said the mahou shoujo with another wink, which caused most of the men to fainted with hearts on their eyes. She then runs or rather mad dash at the direction where Itachi head off to.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

"_(Sigh)…What a chaos. If I stayed there even a second longer, there's no doubt things will become very troublesome" _thought Itachi. He did not mean to be disrespectful, however his intuition keeps telling him to stay away from her, or else he will suffer terrible things. Not to mention for some reasons, she really reminds him of Sirzechs especially when she said _'So-tan'._

His moment of musing was brought to an end, however, when he sense a presence approaching his location.

"_This presence…It's fast! Whoever he is, he must be skilled…"_ Itachi braced for whoever comes, due to the feeling of impending doom that keeps bugging his intuition. If only Itachi decided to run away instead of facing whoever comes his way, he would not be dragged into a very troublesome problem.

"_Here he comes…."_ And with a sound of rustling wind, Itachi finally able to see just who is it that able to move so fast. However the face that he saw is surely one that he did not expect to see.

"Ah~! There you are~!" comes the voice of a certain mahou shoujo.

…

….

…

Itachi could only look at her with a blank face, partially because he didn't expect her, of all people, to be able to move so fast (not to mention while wearing those kind of clothes), and mainly because he did not take into account that she would chase after him all the way here.

"…."

"Mou~. Do you know how hard it was for me to find you~?" whined the mahou shoujo.

"….."

"But, of course~, even if it's hard, nothing is impossible for Magical Levia-tan~!"

"….."

"Ah~! Your face says that 'you don't care'! Mu~, do you realize what kind of problem you've caused me~? I need to leave my fans behind just to catch up with you, you know~!" whined the mahou shoujo again. Itachi only blink once, but then closed his eyes for a brief moment of thinking before opening it and proceeds to ask a question.

"…And?"

"And what?"

"And what is it that you want from me? You've said it yourself that it's problematic for you to leave your fans behind, so what is it that is so important for you that you came all the way here to catch up to me?" asked Itachi in a calm voice. He planned to put a psychological attack upon the girl with the hopes that she will leave him alone.

Unknown to him, however, it has the exact opposite reaction on the girl.

"….Mu…."

"….?"

"MUAAAAAAAAAAHHH~!" All of the sudden the girl leaped towards him at an unbelievable speed.

"!" Itachi could barely dodge the girl's assault and proceed to stepped away from her. He then focuses his eyes upon the girl who is now lying down on her chest while trying to figure out what she intended to do.

"….Yhd…sdwo…Sojan…." is the muffling that comes out from the girl whose face is still on the ground.

"…." Itachi is not sure whether the girl is conscious or not due to the force of her landing.

Slowly, Itachi walk closer to her in order to check whether she is alright or not. That turns out to be a bad decision, because the moment he comes near her….

GRAB

His right leg was grabbed by the girl's hands using the same inhumane speed that she shows just now.

"!" Itachi could only widen his eyes a bit before quickly trying to release his leg. Unfortunately, the girl won't let it out of her hands so easily. He struggled for a bit before suddenly the girl pulled him down. However what she will do to him is certainly one that he did not expect.

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh~! Finally~!" said the mahou shoujo while hugging Itachi and pressing down her chest on his face.

Now if it's other male, they definitely get aroused from the fact that their face is currently being hugged by a beautiful girl with big assets. In fact many of them would definitely lost control, or come to a state of panic and confusion for being suddenly hugged by a girl like this. However for Itachi who has incredible self-control all he did was patiently waiting till the girl released him.

Unfortunately, the girl does not seem to wants to release him anytime soon. So he could only force his mouth to speak.

"….Wh….re….ou….hugging…..me?" muffled Itachi. It's to be expected since his face is currently being pressed into what most men would call 'a paradise'. However it seems the girl heard him nonetheless and stared down to him before decides to voice out her reason.

"Because~, you're just like So-tan~!" said the mahou shoujo with a smile.

"…..."

"You sound like her~, the way you talk that is~"

"….."

"Not to mention that attitude of yours~! Aaah~! It's almost as if that you're the male version of So-tan~" said the mahou shoujo while continuing to put greater force to her hug. If it's other male, they definitely already died due to blood loss (caused by severe nose bleed, of course) by now. But, to Itachi this is nothing more than inconvenient. So he twists his body a bit, relax all his muscles at the same time, and then….

SLIP

He slipped through the hug of a mahou shoujo by pulling himself using the heel of his shoes. The mahou shoujo became surprised at this, because no one had ever managed to escape her hug once they are captured.

"AH!"

Itachi quickly stands up and again stepped away from her although this time he made a considerable distance between them. He then proceeds to stare at the mahou shoujou's eyes, to see if she planned to do something again. However instead of the look of someone who planned something the looks on her face is instead….

"Uuuuuuuuu~"

That of a child whose precious belonging was forcefully taken away from her. In other words she looks like she's going to cry at any moment.

"…"

Itachi could only sweat dropped at her behaviors. First, she acts like a hyperactive child, and now she acts like a crybaby. He really doesn't know what to do, since his intuition told him to ignore her and run away as far as possible, but his heart told him to stay and stop the girl from crying (which of course, by submitting himself to her hug again).

"_Even Rias, no, even all the children that I knew_ _never acted like her…" _thought Itachi while still sweat dropping.

He looks at her face for a moment before considering his options. He could just abandon her here, saves the trouble of dealing with her again, and arrive at Sirzechs place on time. Or he could stay here to make sure that she doesn't cry and caused a commotion, but at the risks of having to deal with her again, and be late to his appointment.

Not that Itachi's aware that he is going to deal with her again anyway in the near future.

He quickly calculates the consequences of each option, and then he picks his choice.

Slowly he moved closer to the mahou shoujo and extends his hand towards her. Itachi picked the second option, because it doesn't sit well with him to just leave someone suffering, when he has the power to stop it (although he is the reason why the girl is sad).

"I will help you stand and listen to you….but only if you promised not to suddenly attack and hug me like that again" declared Itachi. Said mahou shoujo eyes widen at this.

"But~…"

"Promised?" Itachi cut her before she could speak another words with a tone of finality. The mahou shoujo could only sulks because of this and muttered one word.

"Promise…."

Itachi nod and proceed to help her stand. After that he led her to a bench located near the lake and sits down to hear the reason why she chased him.

"So? As I asked before, what is it that you want from me to the point of chasing me here? I am sure I have nothing that is of value to you…." stated Itachi. However, unlike previous time when he asked the question in order to make her leave, this time he asks the question to obtain answers.

….

….

…

"_Don't tell me….she has no reason for chasing me and simply did it for her own amusement?" _thought Itachi when he received no answer from the girl. He's going to voice out his thought, but before he could do that, the mahou shoujo beats him to it.

"It's because…."

"Hm?"

"It's because you look bored when you saw me on the market…." State the mahou shoujo which caused an incredulous look to appear on Itachi's face.

….

….

"….Are you serious?" asked Itachi who received a nod from the mahou shoujo.

"Just because of that?"

"Well~, no~. I was a bit upset with you, because you were the only one that leaves. But when you talked to me the first time, you really reminds me of So-tan to the point that I couldn't help but wanting to cuddle you, because you looks adorable like her~" Explain the mahou shoujo with a nostalgic smile on her face.

"_Adorable? Me?"_ Itachi continue to look at her incredulously, but decides not to speak anything in order to respect her feelings and opinion.

"Well~, it can't be helped right? I mean, I haven't seen her for a while, because of my duties. Isn't it cruel~?" whined the mahou shoujo.

…..

….

"….Heh…" Itachi couldn't help but let out a small laugh at this. In some way she reminds him of himself in the past.

"Ah~! You're laughing~! Muu~! I won't let you ridicule my love for So-tan~!" yelled the mahou shoujo.

"I'm sorry…. I simply…remembered something from the past. I wasn't ridiculing you at all…" replied Itachi while still smiling. However, the girl is still unconvinced by this.

"Really~? If I find out that you lied then you will suffer….THIS~!" All of the sudden everything within the radius of 200m is covered by ice. The lake, the trees, the road, everything, well, except for the two people that sits on the bench (and the lucky bench). Fortunately no one else was there except for them.

Itachi's eyes widen when he saw this. He never thought that this girl – this, mahou shoujo possess such a powerful magical power. The fact that the icing process happens in an instant and inside a controlled radius also speaks about the volume of her control of ice magic. He then silently activated his sharingan and true enough, he could see an enormous amount of magic inside her.

"How's that~? Now you won't dare ridicule me again, right~?" Itachi blink twice, but then let out a small smile on his face.

"Ah! AAAAHH~! You're still making fun of me aren't you~?! Well then, now you forced me to….eh?" she didn't finish her sentence, because Itachi held out his hand in front of her.

"As I said before, I'm not ridiculing you or the likes. You simply reminds me of someone is all" explained Itachi. The mahou shoujo blink, but the proceeds to tilt her heads in curiosity. Itachi who saw this decides to explain his reason for smiling, or else he might suffer the wrath of a magical girl.

"Your duties prevent you from seeing your little sister, in a way that is similar to the circumstances that my acquaintance had. Because of his duties, he had to neglect his younger brother and this caused the younger brother to hate him. I simply hope that your relationship with your little sister will not become like his" finished Itachi. Of course, he didn't give the full story of his own life, but instead a very abridged version.

"…."

"_She becomes quiet…."_ thought Itachi. He is guessing that the girl is contemplating what he said. However, he guessed wrong for the girl is contemplating about something that is _inside_ what he said.

"How did you know that So-tan is my little sister?" asked the mahou shoujo with a suspicious glare.

"Hm?"

"I said. How. Did. You. Know. That. So-tan. Is. My. Little sister?" asked the mahou shoujo with a slightly edgy tone.

"That's…." Itachi's attempt of explaining was drown by the girl's own speculation.

"Don't tell me! You're So-tan's stalker~! You are, aren't you~?"

"No, I'm…"

"I know she's adorable, but that doesn't mean I will allow anyone other than myself to stalk her!" declared the mahou shoujo while pointing at Itachi. Itachi could only sigh at this.

"I am not her stalker, and I have no interest in stalking her. Not to mention I have no idea what this _'So-tan'_ looks like…" explained Itachi.

"As for how I knew that she is your younger sister….well….let's just say…..that you share a similar attitude with someone that I know when he talks about his younger sister" explained Itachi, as he is reminded of a certain red-haired Satan.

"Then are you my stalker?" asked the mahou shoujo curiously.

….

…..

"…_How in the world did she comes to that?"_ thought Itachi tiredly. For some reason he feels really tired dealing with her and this caused him to rub his temple due to the headache caused by this conversation.

"No. Today is the first time I've ever seen you. In fact I don't even know your name…" said Itachi with questioning eyes.

"Eh~. Before I introduce myself, shouldn't you introduce yourself first~?"

…

…..

"…..It's….Itachi. My name is Itachi"

"Ah~! Then It-tan it is~" replied the mahou shoujo immediately.

…

…..

"….What?"

"It-tan. Because your name is Itachi, so I'll call you It-tan" explained the mahou shoujo as if it's a very simple matter.

"…..No…."

"Eh~? Why~?" whined the girl.

"….Just…no…"

"Then~, how about Itcchan~?"

"No"

"Itcchi"

"No"

"Ita-chin"

"No"

"Muuuuu~! Well then….how about…Chi-chan~?!" For some strange reason, Itachi has the urge to say copyright for the last nickname, but shove it away in favor of his answer.

"No"

"Mouuu~! Then what should I call you?!" replied the girl frustrated.

"Just…Itachi…"

"Muuuu~. Well then, Itachi-chan…" said the mahou shoujo while sulking.

"That's better" replied Itachi with a smile, which caused the mahou shoujo to have a beaming smile.

When he is going to ask about her name, he realize that it's already well past afternoon. He sweat dropped at this, due to the fact that he got pulled into the girl's pace. He then slowly stand up and starts walking away.

"Ah~, Itachi-chan~, where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, but I have an appointment that needs to be attended. It's a pleasure to speak with you…"

"It's Serafall, but you can call me Sera-chan~" Itachi smiled at this.

"Well then Serafall-san, may we meet again one day. And that time, I hope you will introduced your sister to me" with that Itachi begins to walk away, but not before hearing her last words.

"Muuu~ I said you can call me Sera-chan~!" Itachi could only let out a small smile at her childish behavior, but then he proceeds to ponder about something.

"_That name….Serafall….where have I heard it….." _

Oh….he didn't realize who the person that he met just now was.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

**[Sirzechs' castle] **

Itachi arrived at Sirzechs' place after he contacted Grayfia and asked her to pick him up. Although he needs to explain his reason for lateness to her (he fabricated the reason) and listen to her lecture about the importance of being on time afterwards, but he noted that she seems to be happy, even though she still wears that stern expression.

Slowly he opens the door to the living room and what awaits him there are…..

"Ahahahahaha~"

The sight of Sirzechs playing with his newborn child with flowers flying around and surrounding them.

"…"

Now, Itachi is not sure whether these flowers are illusion or not. This is because the source of the flowers is none other than Sirzechs himself, as it comes out of his body, or rather, his face. But what makes it very confusing for him is the fact that these flowers are very real, and he couldn't find even the slightest trace of illusion. However he decided not to dwell in it too much, because he learnt that it will only cause him headaches if he tried to decipher the unfathomable, especially if it's coming from certain people.

"Sirzechs-san" His voice grabs Sirzechs attention.

"Oh~, Itachi-kun~. Welcome. How's your day?" asked Sirzechs while still holding his son.

"It's…..fine. Please forgive my lateness…. I was….delayed by some problems on the way here" said Itachi as he sat down on one of the chair.

"It's not a problem at all~! In fact, I'm happy that you're late~. I could spend more time playing with Millicas, because of that~" said Sirzechs with a very happy expression. Itachi only look passively at the scene in front of him, but then let a small smile grace his lips as he remembered the feeling that he got from Grayfia and noted the similarity of it with the one emitted by Sirzechs.

"_Parents love, huh….."_ thought Itachi as he remembers the time he spent with his parents and the time when he was going to kill them.

…..

…

…..

Itachi is content with just watching the scene in front of him for a moment, before he asks the question regarding something.

"Sirzechs-san….what is your reason for summoning me?"

"Ahahahahaha~"

"….." Itachi sweat dropped at this. It seems the red-haired man has gone to a faraway land with his son. Not to mention the scenery around them is no longer composed of only flowers, but butterflies as well.

Fortunately a force that pushes Sirzechs back to the Underworld came, in the form of Grayfia, who took Millicas away from him. This however, made Sirzechs depressed. But Grayfia continues to inform them regarding the arrival of a certain someone.

"Well, well. You sure are one happy Satan" said a voice before suddenly a magic circle appears in the middle of the room.

"Oh…. Ajuka, huh~" said Sirzechs while still depressed. True enough, the one who came out from the magic circle is a handsome devil that has mysterious aura surrounding him which somehow makes him look, well, devilish.

"You asked me to come here, because you wanted me to check on something and this is how you welcome me?"

"Well~, that's because~"

"Don't say it, I don't even want to know about it" finished Ajuka. This caused Sirzechs to sink even further. Ajuka then turns his attention to Itachi, and though he doesn't show it, Itachi knows from the man's eyes that he currently appraising him. Ajuka then turns his attention back to Sirzechs and only said one sentence.

"It's him, isn't it?" It's not a question, but rather a statement of fact. Sirzechs suddenly stop being depressed and for once he looks very serious.

"Yes, he is the one" replied Sirzech. Itachi who doesn't know what is going on at the moment decides to ask about this, but Sirzechs beat him to it.

"Itachi-kun, do you remember last year when we tried to make you one of my peerages using the pawn pieces?"

"Yes"

"Well, this man here is one of the four Satans like me, and the creator of the evil pieces system, Ajuka Beelzebub"

"Yo, nice to finally meet the one who managed to destroy my creation" said Ajuka while waving at Itachi.

"…."

"We decides to do a check-up on your body to see if we can find out the reason why the evil pieces got pushed out from your body" explained Ajuka.

Itachi could only wonder why the man does not seems to be angry for having his creation destroyed, but shoved it away in favor of asking Sirzechs a certain question.

"Why didn't we do this sooner?" asked Itachi. If he got check earlier then he might already found a way to control those colours inside of him.

Now, Sirzechs suddenly sweating like crazy and after gulping down his spit, he finally opens his mouth.

"It's because… I forgot….."

…..

…

"…You forgot…." repeated Itachi with a passive look on his face.

"Yes….. I forgot….." repeated Sirzechs again.

….

…

"….Grayfia-san?" Itachi turns his attention to the woman, and from his eyes Grayfia knew that he wants an explanation. So she only let out a small cough and explains the reason in a very brief summary.

"Child, happy, celebrates, too excited, forgot about anything else's" finish Grayfia.

"…." Itahi got the full message and now look at Sirzechs. The message was basically like this. 'Sirzechs who was happy that he's going to have his first child, becomes very happy to the point that he made celebration for it. However, he got too excited about this that he made celebrations after celebrations and literally forgot about anything else, until his child was born'. He then look back at Grayfia and noted that she seems slightly embarrassed, which means that somehow she got pulled into the mood.

Itachi could only let out a small sigh at this while Ajuka is chuckling.

"Really~, you lovey-dovey couple who have their love life turned into a play, is really a one happy couple~" said Ajuka while still chuckling.

"_Their love life turned into a play….?"_ thought Itachi incredulously. However the expression on Grayfia's face was enough to say that Ajuka told the truth.

"W-well then, we shouldn't delay it any longer. It's better to start as soon as possible right~?" said Sirzechs in an attempt to divert the topic back, while Grayfia scrambled out of the room while carrying Millicas.

"Well, then let's do it right away" said Ajuka.

"…..Here?" asked Itachi. He wonders whether or not they need any special equipment for checking his body.

"Well….as long as there's scalpel or knife, dissection can be done practically anywhere, you know" state Ajuka.

"…..What?" asked Itachi.

"I'll be blunt. Let me dissect you" state Ajuka with a very serious expression.

"…..What?" Itachi repeated.

"Let. Me. Dissect. You" Ajuka said slowly to make sure that Itachi and Sirzechs know that he is serious.

"…."

"MU! Ajuka! I won't let you harmed my younger brother!" declared Sirzechs which caused Itachi to raise his brows at what Sirsechs just said.

"Oh~, so he is your younger brother now? I thought you said that he is your rival?"

"_Rival? Rival in what?"_ Itachi couldn't help but wonder.

"That's that, this is this! When he is not my rival for Ria-tan's attention, he is my younger brother!" said Sirzechs. Itachi sweat dropped at this. It seems the crimson Satan is still stuck on the whole attention things.

"Just give it up, Sirzechs. The fastest way to know what's wrong with someone's body is through dissection" explain Ajuka simply. Itachi sigh, but then decides to voice his opinion.

"For what reason do you want to dissect me? If it's just a check-up, then you don't have to go through the trouble of dissecting me, not to mention if you find nothing in me after you dissect me…it'll be just a waste of your time…." explained Itachi.

"For science of course" Ajuka replied immediately, which caused Itachi to sweat dropped at his response.

"But really, you should not say there's _nothing_ in you, after all if there is _nothing_, then how could the evil pieces – _my_ evil pieces – that I created hundred years ago be pushed out of your body, when it should already fuse and then destroyed. In fact, your case is the very first to ever happened" state Ajuka while staring at Itachi's eyes. Itachi only let out a sigh and closes his eyes for a brief moment of thinking. He then opens his eyes and is about to let out his response when…..

"Ju~st kidding~!" said Ajuka.

"…"

"…"

"I'm not really a research type of person, I prefer to creates something instead of discovering something"

"….."

"…."

"Besides dissection is a barbaric thing. We are on the era were we used X-rays and advanced technologies for research, you know?"

"…"

"….."

"But seriously, I never thought that you two will take it very seriously"

"…."

"Then….Ajuka…..why did you said those things?" asked Sirzechs slowly, but there's a sense of dread coming out from his voice.

"To build a tension, of course. It's not fun to do something when there's no tension you know" explained Ajuka simply.

The next thing that happens is a scene of carnage, as the two adults bicker over some nonsense which leads to a fight. It's safe to say that the room was a mess was an underestimation, for there's nothing left after the fight save the chair where the only spectator sat. Throughout the skirmish, the spectator only watches the battle unfolds in front of him (with his sharingan activated, for safety reason) with a passive look while sighing at the same time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

"Well then, shall we begin?" asked Ajuka. Itachi only gives a nod as a confirmation.

Currently, he is in a sphere which is created by Ajuka. He said that this sphere will calculates every disturbances, phenomenon, or powers inside him, and Ajuka mentioned that this sphere rivaled if not exceed the computing ability of the human world greatest super computer (though he actually never saw one).

The sphere begins rotating with a glow. Slowly, Itachi could feel his consciousness leaving him and then he enters a deep slumber while his body floats in the middle if the sphere.

"Now, then, all we need to do is waiting for the results. Sirzechs, I want a tea" said Ajuka to the unidentified person who is currently lying on a sofa.

"Ga…Jew…AIet…Hoeusef (translation: Go get it yourself)" is the kind of response coming out from Sirzechs mouth. This is because Sirzechs face is swollen to the point that his face looks like a giant meat ball. This is the result of Grayfia's punishment for obliterating the living room, and though Ajuka was also to be blamed, but it was Sirzechs who started the fight.

"Now, now, house-owner should treat the guest to the best of their ability, right? And besides, I can't leave this sphere alone you know? In case something happens…" state Ajuka.

"Gr…."

"And don't say I should ask Grayfia for it. She almost gave me the same fate as you, remember?" said Ajuka who cuts Sirzechs word.

"…"

"Oh, well. If you won't let me have a tea, then I guess I'll take this as my punishment then" said Ajuka with a shrug.

The analyzing continues, and minutes turn into hour. After an hour and a half, the sphere's rotation slow down and the glow is slowly disappear. With that, Ajuka receives the results and for once he looks really shocked. Sirzechs raise a brow at this (or looks like he raise a brow), because he never seen his friend with a shock expression before.

"Sirzechs….." said Ajuka with a grave tone.

"Hat his hit? (translation: what is it?)"

"Tell Grayfia to send the boy home, now…" Sirzechs could see the urgency in his tone despite the fact that he said that sentence with a calm voice. So he called Grayfia over, and asked her to take Itachi who is still unconscious home.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

"So? What's the matter, Ajuka?" asked Sirzech, after he fixed his face using the unknown method.

"….."

"…Ajuka?"

"Sirzechs….."

"Hm…?"

"Is it possible to…."

"Is it possible to what?"

"Is it possible to categorize a human as a dragon?"

"…..Sorry?"

"You heard me…. Is it possible to categorize a human as a dragon?"

…..

…..

"…..Are you saying that he is a humanoid dragon? Like _Ophis_?"

"No...his body composition is 100% human, and there's nothing out of ordinary…"

"Then?'

"As I asked before, is it possible for a human to be categorized as a human but at the same time as a dragon? No, let me simplify it. He is a human that can be called a dragon"

"What do you mean? How exactly he can be categorized as dragon if his body is a human"

"Remember what a '_dragon'_ is Sirzechs. What they represents…."

"…."

"'_Dragon' _is created from collection of large masses of energy. In short they represent the powers that flow through the worlds endlessly"

"And how this has anything to do with Itachi-kun. You said it yourself, he is 100% human and I'm sure if he possesses an extraordinary amount of power in his body, I would already noticed it from the first time we met"

"It's his soul…"

"…..!"

"There are two different kinds of power attached to his soul. These powers however have a contradicting nature towards each other; one is magical in nature while the other is something that I've never seen before. One thing is for sure, both powers are fighting each other to be the dominant force inside his body and if this keeps up his body will self-destruct" explained Ajuka.

"How?! How is it possible that his own powers killing him?"

"Who said anything about these powers originated from him?"

"!"

"These powers are foreign substances, Sirzechs. It interferes with his natural energy. It's like putting chemical and oil on top of water, its slowly corroding it, destroying it until it becomes unrecognizable"

"Do you know where these powers originated then?"

"The source of the magical one is very obvious due to its signatures (who is it?). The _Great Red…."_

"!"

"But, the main problem is the other one. It's almost untraceable to the point that if there's no slight curve in this graph, then I wouldn't even noticed it" explain Ajuka as he shown Sirechs the graph of Itachi's soul.

"Ajuka….this is…"

"Yes….it's frequency is extremely identical to his soul, but its nature is completely different. And from the looks of it, I'm very sure that the one that was responsible for pushing out and destroying the pawn pieces was this one"

"But…who, no, what could possibly make something that is identical to someone's soul; even twins have very different souls and I doubt the gods are capable of accomplishing something like this" questioned Sirzechs.

"If I know, I wouldn't have this headache right now" state Ajuka while rubbing his head.

…

….

"….Is there anything that we can do for him?" ask Sirzechs with a very solemn expression.

"Train him…."

"What?"

"Train him. Train him, not only on how to control magical energy, but also train his body. That way the capacity of his natural energy will increase and hopefully he will last until I finish creating a device to isolate that unknown power"

"What about the magical energy from _Great Red? _Isn't it….."

"On its own, that magical energy is not dangerous at all. In fact it will give him a boost in output when he used magic and allows him to strengthen his physiques to the level of a devil. It's because it clash with the unknown energy that it becomes dangerous. And one more thing, even if the magical energy is not there, he still will self-destruct"

"Why?!"

"That unknown power, its nature as I said before, contradicts not only magical energy, but also his natural energy. It tries to take over the role of his natural energy. If his body and natural energy is not strong enough to resist that power, well, let's just say the results will not be pretty"

"…"

"As I said, I'll make a device to isolate that unknown power, but at the same time, he needs to be train so to increase his chance of survival, understood?"

"Yes, but Ajuka…"

"What is it?"

"You better make sure you finish that device of yours or else…." before he could finish his sentence, Sirzechs voice was interrupted by Ajuka.

"Who do you think you're talking to? If I couldn't create something of that level, then there's no way I would be able to create the evil pieces system" finish Ajuka with a tone of finality on his voice.

"….I'll leave it to you then…." said Sirzechs to Ajuka who only nod.

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**[Gremory castle – Rias room]**

"_This place is…."_ is what runs through Itachi's mind after he regains his consciousness. He looks up to the ceiling and comes to the conclusion that he is indeed in Rias' room, for it is the room where he sleeps every night this past year. He looks out to the window and noted that it seems to be midnight. But then his attention got pulled into his head for it is indeed…

"Mmm~, Itachi~…"

Being cuddled into Rias breasts.

"_(Sigh) being cuddled twice in one day….." _thought Itachi tiredly before he let sleeps claim him once more due to the fatigue that he has.

If only he knows that out there someone else is currently suffering the same fate as him, then maybe he wouldn't feel so tired.

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**[Sitri castle – same time]**

In one of the room of the Sitri castle, there's one person who is currently still awake. This girl is currently reading through several books with such focus that instead of reading, it's more like she is analyzing the content. However for this girl, this is her moment of peace, the only time when she could read without disturbance. But not tonight.

"So~tan!" comes the voice of a certain mahou shoujo from behind her.

"Kyah!" squeaked the so called 'So-tan"

"Ah~, So-tan's warmth~. How I missed this~" said Serafall while hugging 'So-tan'.

"O-onee-sama, how many times do I have to tell you? Called me Sona properly and please do not scare me like that!" yelled the girl who is now identified as Sona with a blush on her face.

"Shhh~! So-tan~, you shouldn't yell at night~. You might wake up the rest of the castle~" said Serafall while putting her index finger in front of her mouth and patting Sona's head.

"But, it's because…" Sona'a attempt to protest was cut by Serafall.

"You know So-tan~" said Serafall with a tone that is very unlike her which caused Sona to look at her weirdly. "Today, Onee-chan met a male version of you…" This caused an incredulous look to appear on Sona's face. "Like So-tan~, he acts very mature even though he looks just as old as So-tan. He even sound as serious as you~. But you know what So-tan…" said Serafall in a melancholic tone. "His eyes look very sad, but at the same time also very wise and full of love" finished Serafall.

Sona couldn't help but ponder at this. "What is the name of that man?" asked Sona.

"Hm~, it's Itachi, but I decides to call him It-tan~" said Serafall in her childish tone.

"W-w-what?!" stuttered Sona.

"As I said I decide to call him It-tan, but he…" Serafall couldn't finish her sentence due to Sona's yell.

"Onee-sama, please do not give embarrassing nicknames to people! Especially the one you've just met!"

"Muu~! So-tan~, listen to me first~! It's true I wanted to call him that, but he rejected it, so I called him Itachi-chan instead" explain Serafall while pouting.

Sona let out a relieved sigh at this, but Serafall took it as a sign of Sona's jealousy, so she starts to cuddle her even more, which caused a mess out of Sona.

"Mou~, So-tan is so cute when she's jealous~. Don't worry, So-tan always number one for onee-chan~" said Serafall while rubbing her cheek with Sona's.

"I-I'm not jealous, onee-sama!"

"By the way~, So-tan~, don't you miss Rias-chan? I mean you couldn't see her this past year, because of that engagement thing"

"It's not a problem onee-sama. We still contact each other, and from what she said, it seems she has found a new friend" state Sona. Serafall looks at her for a brief moment but then continue her assault.

"Mouu~. So-tan, you're so cute~. You act tough even though you really wanted to see Rias-chan~"

"I-I'm not….wait…where are you touching?! Onee-sama!"

And just like that, the mayhems in a certain room inside the Sitri castle continue for the rest of the night.

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**[Gremory castle]**

"_I have a bad feeling about this…_" thought one Uchiha Itachi when he arrived in the courtyard the next day. This is to be expected, since in front of him is the smiling form of Sirzechs who is accompanied by his ever devoted maid (wife) Grayfia, and three other people that he doesn't know.

"Ah~, Itachi-kun~. There you are~" said Sirzechs in his usual jovial tone. However for some reason Itachi's instinct scream at him to run away as far as possible when he heard that.

"….."

"Mu! Why are you looking like that? I'm not going to eat you or anything."

"…..What is it that you want….?" asked Itachi with a very serious tone in his voice. Sirzechs sweat dropped at this, because he never expected the person in front of him to act so cold towards him.

"Why so cold! I'm not going to do anything weird to you, you know!" said Sirzechs in an attempt to convince Itachi. Itachi meanwhile remains skeptical due to the fact that his instinct still screaming at him to run away.

"Then…what is it that you want?" asked Itachi again. Sirzechs sweat dropped even more because of this, but decides to go straight to the point.

"Itachi-kun, from now on you will receive trainings from my peerages" state Sirzechs seriously. Itachi raise his brows at this.

"Why? I think the education here is more than satisfactory….there is no need for you to go through the trouble of…" However Itachi's sentence was cut by Sirzechs.

"I said, trainings, not education. Trainings as in training how to utilize your magic, how to control your magical power, train your physique and stamina and so on" explained Sirzechs.

…..

….

…

"Why so sudden?" asked Itachi.

"Well, I just thought that it's going to be beneficial for you, seeing that you live among devils~" explained Sirzechs while smiling. Itachi only nod at this, but unknown to them, he knows the true reason behind this training.

"_So…he knew…"_ thought Itachi. _"It seems Ajuka-sama really lived up to his reputation as the creator of the evil pieces system, if he managed to find out about my condition…."_

"If I refuse?" Itachi slowly asked.

"You can't refuse, or rather, I wouldn't let you refuse~" said Sirzechs while smiling. Itachi sweat dropped at the man's answer and then he closed his eyes for a moment, before letting out a small sigh and gives the man his answer.

"Alright then, Sirzechs-san. I accept, but may I ask a question first?"

"What is it?" replied Sirzechs, happy that Itachi accepts his proposal.

"Who are those people?"

"Ah~. As I said, they are my peerages. Come and introduce yourselves guys" said Sirzechs. Then the person who wears some sort of animal fur introduced himself.

"My name is Beowulf! I'm the descendant of the great hero Beowulf and Sirzechs pawn. You better show some respect!" declared the so called Beowulf.

"He is also our lackey…." Add the two other people, which caused Beowulf to look at them angrily.

"…" Then it's the turn for the man with the ceremonial robe and staff.

"My name is MacGregor Mathers, one of the founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and Sirzechs bishop. Nice to meet you" said MacGregor simply.

"MacGregor is a master magician and one of the best magician ever existed" add Sirzechs.

"…It's a pleasure to meet you too, MacGregor-san" replied Itachi

"Wait! Why did you ignored me but not him?!" scream Beowulf.

"Shut up, Lackey….." said both MacGregor and the hakama-wearing samurai. This caused Beowulf to look at them angrily again. Then it's the samurai turns while the others went to the sideline.

"This one's name is Okita Souji, former captain of Shinsegumi's first unit, Sirzechs-dono knight, a samurai and Japanese like you" finished Souji.

"….Okita…Sou…ji…?" Itachi slowly asked.

"Ah~. Since you're a Japanese, you've might heard about him, after all he is a famous historical figure in Japan~" explained Sirzechs. Souji only looks embarrassed at this and tried to deny Sirzechs words.

"S-Sirzechs-dono! This one really isn't famous at all! In fact, compared to the likes of Hijikata-dono, this one's accomplishment was nothing!" yelled Souji in denial. Sirzechs could only laugh at his knight attitude, but stop when he sees Itachi's face.

The expression that Itachi has is not his usual calm or passive, it's also not anger, sad, happy, disappointment or the likes. No, his expression is one that people have when they are going to kill an insect that disturbs them using a pesticide. However Sirzechs noted that his gazes is not on an insect, but rather a certain samurai devil who is currently having an argument with his friends and is unaware of the young man's gazes.

"I see…..so you are…. _Souji…_." said Itachi slowly and with a voice that's just above a whisper. For some reason, Sirzechs becomes really unnerved when he heard his voice, even though he said it in his usual calm tone.

"Can I ask you a question, _Souji-san_?" Itachi's voice, despite the low volume, managed to capture the attention of the samurai. Souji who still does not realize what kind of situation he's currently in only gives a nod as confirmation.

"Are you….by chance….the one who….introduced human world's _culture_ to Rias?"

Hearing this, Souji suddenly becomes very enthusiastic and starts blabbering things like 'samurai is the way of men', and how 'bushido is the true religion' and so on. Throughout the (one-sided) conversations between Itachi and Souji, the rest of the peerages only shakes their heads, knowing that once Souji talks about his weird hobbies, it will be hard to stops him. Sirzechs on the other hand, is now sweating like crazy for reason unknown to him as he still fixed his gazes on Itachi's face. Itachi himself is now gathering all proves that he needs to act against the man.

….

….

"…..I've heard enough" Itachi suddenly speak in a low voice that for some reason is greatly unnerving not only Sirzechs, but also his peerages, including Grayfia. However, one person in particular, either because he is dense, too engrossed in his talking or an idiot couldn't pick up the atmosphere and continue to blabber nonsense. He's going to continue talking, but the next moment he opened his mouth….

SLAM

His body falls to the ground.

…

…

…

No one knows what just happened, no one, except a certain master magician. To other's eyes, it just seems that Souji just suddenly falls, but to his eyes, to the eyes of a master magician, everything related to magic wouldn't be missed. The young man does not use any form of offensive spell, but instead he used some sort of hallucination – illusion magic perhaps, to gives a subtle order to Souji's body so that he lost control of his body. The master magician noted that the magic was not generated from a magic circle or used any sort of incantation, but rather a subtle movement of his left eye based on the slight twitching on his left face. He wonders how talented this boy is for being able to use magic without needing any incantation of some sort at such a young age and just from a movement of his eye.

However, the master magician was wrong in his assessment. Although he was right in deducing that Itachi's left eye was subtly moved, but it wasn't the source of hallucination or rather, illusion. The eye movement was simply a trap to mislead MacGregor into thinking that he used his eye to do magic, where in fact he just sent Souji to the illusion world using genjutsu instead of magic by using the slight movement of his left index finger. However using this drains Itachi's chakra, and the consequences are….

"_Ugh!_" He starts to feel intense pain in his body again due to his chakra being depleted and the colours begin struggling for control again. However he hides it with his calm face, and starts walking towards Sirzechs and said….

"Sirzechs-san…."

"Y-yes~?" asked Sirzechs with a forced smile.

"It seems….Souji-san does not feel well, should we postpone our training until he wakes up?" said Itachi with his usual calm voice although he is currently suffering a great deal of pain. Sirzechs only nod and gesture to his other peerages to help carry Souji to one of the room.

Beowulf carries Souji while grumbling things about why he is the one that always have to do this and how he prefers to carry woman rather than man.

MacGregor follows behind them while thinking what sort of things he could teach to the young man.

"_I don't know what just happened, but you better prepare yourself, kid! I'll show you the true form of hell!" _thought Beowulf while still grumbling and carrying Souji on his back.

Unknown to him, however, it might actually be him that will be shown hell.

**AAANNNDD Finish chapter 3! For those of you who are wondering, Samurai Cross is a parody of Samurai X. Itachi refers to the powers as colours, because he still doesn't know the natures of those colours, and what it represents. And as always thank you for the reviews and sorry if it seems crude, for I start writing this chapter right after I finished my exams.**

**Please Rate and Reviews**


	4. the Glasses, the Sadist and the Nekomimi

**Sorry guys for the late update. Assassin's Creed 3 was simply too amazing. I almost couldn't stop playing. And as always thank you for the reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 4

**The Glasses, the Sadist, and the Nekomimi**

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**[Gremory castle]**

Inside Gremory castle exists a certain garden that is off limit to the servants. However inside that garden right now, there are five people who are currently sitting on top of very expensive – looking chairs. These people composed of only one male and four females whose age looks to be around 13 – 14 and 11 – 12 years old. Currently the male and two of the females are staring intently at the table, while the other female is currently making teas and the youngest of the group is contently licking a candy while sitting on the male's lap.

The male has a straight black hair that reaches just above his shoulder, but there are traces of hair cut visible on it, meaning that his hair was quite long recently. The female who is currently making teas has a long black hair that is tied into a ponytail, and violet eyes however her most defining feature is her *COUGH* well *COUGH* endowed *COUGH* breasts *COUGH* for a girl her age. The youngest female has a petite body, short white hair and gives an impression that she will looks really cute with cat ears. The two females who are staring intently at the table have a long red hair and short black hair respectively. The red-haired one has blue-green eyes, while the other one has violet eyes, similar to the other black-haired female, however she wears a glasses that somehow made her looks mature for someone of her age.

The male and the two females who stares at the table, or specifically at the chess board on the table, shares calculating looks which would make most people nervous, due to the tension caused by this. However the tension disappeared the moment the male move one of the chess piece and declares….

"Checkmate…"  
"Ah!" shout the red-haired one.

"With this….it's my win again….Rias"

"Uuuuu~" whined Rias.

"Hm… This is to be expected from the man who managed to beat me" declared the glasses-wearing girl.

"Sona….. Aren't you look too happy to see me lost?" accused Rias who saw the smile on Sona's lips.

Yes. This is Sona Sitri, the heiress of the Sitri clan and younger sister of Serafall. She is also a childhood friend and a rival of Rias.

"Nonsense…. I simply glad to see that Itachi managed to utilize a new successful strategy. By no means I'm happy to saw him defeating you in such a short time…._again_" explained Sona with a smirk which caused Rias to look even more upset and glared at her. Sona then glared back at her and auras from both girls are visibly clashing.

Looking at this scene in front of him, Itachi only let out a small sigh, but then he smiles knowing that despite their rivalry, without doubt the two of them are very good friends. The two girls saw his smile and directed their anger at him.

"Itachi~! What's so funny?" "Is there something funny?" said Rias and Sona at the same time. Itachi only looks at them for a brief moment before closing his eyes.

"It's nothing…." replied Itachi. However both girls remain skeptical, but before they could speak, they were interrupted by the other black-haired girl, who giggled while setting down the teas.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. How nice to see two female birds fighting over a single male" teased the girl which made both Rias and Sona yelled at her. However there's a subtle edge in her teasing that not went unnoticed by everyone except the sole male of the group.

"A-Akeno!" said girl who is now identified as Akeno only continue to giggle despite being glared by her 'king' and her friend.

This girl, Himejima Akeno is the first member of Rias' peerages and held the position of queen. She is, as one would expect from her name, is of Japanese descent and Rias and Itachi met her when they went to the human world for the first time. Despite her appearance, she has a bit of personality issues.

Itachi shakes his head slightly at this, knowing the personality of Akeno, she would without doubt, teased both of them until submissions. However his concern for both heiresses is cut when he felt a slight pull on the sleeves of his shirt. He looks downward and then he is faced with the pleading look of a certain white-haired girl.

"…." She looks at him silently, but he could see the desperation on her eyes. So, he let out a smile and replies to the girl's silent plea.

"I understand…..Koneko…." and with that, he put his right hand on top of the girl's head and starts petting her head. The young girl who is now identified as Koneko has a satisfied expression on her face which enforced the impression of a kitten on her.

This little girl, Toujo Koneko, is the second member of Rias' peerages and held the position of a rook. She was brought here by Sirzechs so that Rias could take care of her although it is unknown why she seems so quiet.

The other girls saw this and as one, completely as one in tone, expression and even feelings says a certain word to Itachi.

"Lolicon…." accused the three girls in a very flat tone. Itachi sweat dropped at this and closes his eyes while rubbing his temple with his left hand. After a brief moment of thinking, he decided not to say anything, because he knows it's useless to deny when they wouldn't buy it. Even worse, the accusation might escalate if they took it the wrong way. So he only stared passively at the three girls who are now looking embarrassed for being stared by him.

"Rias" the staring ended when he called out to Rias.

"W-what is it?" replied Rias with a slight blush on her face.

"As per our agreements, with this victory….tonight too, you won't sleep with me…" Itachi slowly declared. Rias becomes visibly shocked for being reminded of their agreements.

"…!" she tried to say something, but couldn't find any words, so she decided to close her mouth and then sulking. Itachi who saw this couldn't help letting out a smile at her and then gestured to Rias to come closer.

Rias who saw this, slowly walks to Itachi's side, but the moment she comes close to him….

POKE

He poked her with his right hand. Rias stumble a bit, while Sona and Akeno only shake their heads.

"Mou~, Itachi! Would you stop that already~?" whined Rias. However although she whined about it, Akeno and Sona couldn't help but notice that she seems happy when Itachi did that.

"Then stop sulking…. Rias….you might lose today, but that doesn't mean that you will lose tomorrow" assured Itachi, but Rias only pouted at him.

"But, you said that everyday…." Rias starts sulking again after she said that. Itachi only blink twice, but then let out a small smile.

"Rias..." Itachi's voice caught her attention and then she turned her head towards him. That turns out to be a bad decision, because the moment she faced him….

POKE

Her forehead was poked again.

"I said those things, because no one knows what the future will be. I might be able to predict it…but that does not mean that it's absolute. So….stop sulking and stand up, if you do, then not only you might win tomorrow, but I will also stop poking you" explained Itachi with a smile. However Rias has a horrified looks on her face the moment she heard the last part of his sentence.

"D-don't!" shouted Rias, surprising all the girls, and causing Itachi to raise his brows.

"Rias…..what's wrong?" inquired Itachi. He had no idea why she suddenly yelled like that, and he hoped that there's nothing wrong with her.

"D-d-d…." Rias continue to stutter in her effort to say the words.

"D?"

"Don't….stop….poking me…." Whispered Rias, but they all heard it nonetheless.

"….."

"…"

"….."

"….'

They all went silent, and Itachi let out a sigh at this. He then closes his eyes for a moment and then asked a certain question.

"Why you don't want me to stop?"

"E-eh?" Rias seems surprised that Itachi heard her whisper.

"I thought you dislike it when I poked you…." said Itachi. Rias becomes shocked again upon hearing this and immediately denied it.

"I-I never said I dislike it! It's just…after being poked by you for a long time….it doesn't feel right if you don't do it…." explained Rias. Itachi blink twice at what Rias just said, but then he let out another sigh. The girls on the other hand let out some murderous intent in seeing/hearing this, which unfortunately for the sole male in the group, got intensified by Rias next words.

"….and besides….when you do that….it makes me feel that we have a….special relationship" whispered Rias in a very low volume while blushing. Now, Itachi's ears couldn't pick up what Rias just said due to it being very low in volume. But, for the ears of a devil – or in this case, devils, they could hear it just fine. So the next thing that happened is that the place where they are currently in right now is being illuminated by auras with three different colours.

Sona who saw this scene has a calculating look in her eyes and a very intense glare which are directed to both the male and the red-haired, while at the same time her body radiates a bluish aura.

Akeno who saw this scene only let out a smile and has a very bright expression on her face – except, her eyes completely dispelled this. If one wanted to describe her eyes, like a predator is not wrong, but it's not correct either. The eye of a murderer is also not wrong, but it's incorrect too. That's right; her eyes would be best described as the eyes of an angered sadist. Sadist is already a bad thing, but an angered sadist is far worse than that. Not to mention, she radiates a whitish-yellow aura from her body, and one could even see electricity coming out at the same time.

Koneko who saw this scene, turns her head towards Itachi and proceed to hugs him and then buried her head in his stomach. No one could see her expression, but, the fact that she has a pinkish-red aura coming out of her body and the amount of force she puts into her hug, well, it speaks about her current mood. One who saw this might even say that she is being a little possessive.

Itachi feels a little uncomfortable seeing this scene, not to mention, add the fact that he is currently being hug full force by a little girl who is almost – if not as powerful, as the fifth Hokage in term of physical strength. However he had no idea what caused the girls mood to swing downwards. So, he was going to ask the reasons for their bad mood, but the girls beat him to it.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. It seems that we have two naughty love birds here which dare ignored its masters and flies off to their own world" said Akeno while smiling. However her smile is very unnerving due to its being an extremely sweet smile. In fact, if it's other man who is not of Itachi's caliber sitting in his shoes, then there's no doubt that he would either cried while pissing himself, or immediately ran away as far as possible.

"Indeed…. This indecent display of affection must not go unpunished, especially since it's happen right in front of the public" state Sona sternly while glaring at both Itachi and Rias.

"….Lovey dovey….." came the muffled voice of Koneko from Itachi's stomach. Itachi then feels that the amount of force the girl putting into her hug increase and this caused him to have a bit of breathing difficulty.

After adjusting his breaths a bit, Itachi then comes into the conclusion that they thought he and Rias are lovers based on what they said. He deduced that they are somehow angry at him, because they thought he is going to steal Rias away from them. Unfortunately, the reality is the other way around, but it's not like he's going to notice it with his disinterest in that kind of relationship. So he closes his eyes in thought on how to deal with this and after a moment, he comes to the decision that it's best to just clearly denied what they thought. His answer however, will not sit well with a certain red-haired girl.

"I don't know how the three of you came to that conclusion…..but it's a mistake if you think Rias and I shared a romantic relationship…." explained Itachi. All the girls becomes surprised at what he said, especially Rias. But, Itachi, unaware of his current predicament proceed to drop the bomb.

"If you want to know….our relationship is best described as siblings instead of lovers" finished Itachi with a tone that left no room for arguments. As expected, the girls' aura and the hug of a certain kitten subside after he said that. However what he didn't take into account was the fact that now its Rias' turn to have a red aura surrounding her while looking visibly upset.

Sensing a danger from beside him, Itachi slowly turns his head to the side and true enough, he was met by a very intense glare and a flaring aura of Rias.

He could only sweat dropped at this, while slowly moving his left hand to his temple and starts massaging it. For some reason he felt a migraine when he looks at this situation, which is further intensified when the other girls starts pouring out their auras again. However, this time, their target is Rias alone, but due to her stubbornness and tendency of not giving up regarding a certain something – or rather, _someone_, she intensified her aura, and sparks are visible on the air as a result of their auras clashing against each other.

Itachi become speechless seeing this spectacle, and continue to massage his temple while letting out a tired sigh.

"_Why did things become like this?" _is what run through the tired mind of one Uchiha Itachi.

Well….to understand how his life becomes like this, we need to rewind it a bit.

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_**~ 3 years ago ~ **_[**Gremory castle – Rias room]**

A voice of birds chirping can be heard. Slowly, the eyes of one of the room occupants open up, and then he slowly looks towards the window. Sure enough, it's already morning, but though he usually woke up as quickly as possible, for some reason he feels a premonition since he woke up this morning and _something_ is telling him to stay in bed, or he would suffer great pains. However, he shoved it away, in favors of getting ready for his daily trainings and break free of a certain red-haired girl hugs. He tried to slowly crawl out of the bed, but find that his body is aching due to the rigorous trainings that are given to him every day.

That's right. Since that moment when Sirzechs told Itachi that he will be trained by his peerages, his daily lives have become extremely tough. He needs to attend the trainings from morning till evening, educates himself on his free times and if that's not taxing enough, he needs to deal with Rias' whims every night, who insist that since night time is the only time Itachi is available for her, they need to enjoy it to the fullest, which of course, brought headache to him.

As it is, the trainings consist of: kenjutsu training in the morning with Souji, physical exercise with Beowulf in the afternoon, and magic training in the evening with MacGregor. The reason why the trainings schedules were arranged like this was to push one's mind and body to the very limit.

Kenjutsu training with Souji is not only a lesson on swordsmanship, but also a warm up for the rest of the day. The kenjutsu training in the morning serves to hone the instinct and concentration of the mind right when it's still fresh. Itachi found this lesson quite relaxing, because how similar it is to a shinobi training that he had in the past. Not to mention he is also already quite experienced with kenjutsu techniques from Konoha, and thus could easily learn – or in his case, steal Souji's kenjutsu techniques.

The afternoon training, which is the physical exercise with Beowulf, completely surpassed any physical training that he had in the past. He practically has to run around the whole mountain for twenty times with heavy metals strapped to his hands, legs and chest area for a warm – up. Then he needs to do things like push – ups with large boulder on his back. And all of these were done without the aid of chakra (as he feared that it will be depleted very quickly). At this time, he was sure that Gai would definitely be happy to be in his shoes and do this kind of training, since it's basically his kind of thing. But the worst part is that every time the training is finished, Beowulf would challenge him to a fist fight and would not let him go unless he accepts it. Itachi sweat dropped at the fact that the man challenge someone who is a lot younger (in body only) than him to a fight. He suspected that Beowulf simply wanted to blew up some steams for being treated like a lackey, by beating him up. The fight, however, would not end the way the man expected, because, although his body is young and fatigued due to his trainings, but Itachi's proficiency with taijutsu is very high that it's almost natural to him. And so, every day Beowulf would challenge him, and every day too, his face would be embedded into the ground, and eventually this information fall to his friends' ears and made them increase their teasing on him.

However, the hardest training is not physical nor kenjutsu, but rather the magic training. This is to be expected, since his body is spent throughout the day and he was only given half an hour break, so he had difficulties regaining the state of concentration that he had in the morning training. In fact, he could barely feel his magical energy, and once he taps into it, he had difficulties controlling it, since it's hard for him to concentrate with his body as exhausted as it is. It turns out that MacGregor was the one who asked the schedule to be arranged like this. He inquired MacGregor about the reason why his magic lesson was the last, instead of the first or the second. His answer was simply that if Itachi could control his magic when his body is battered, then his control when his body is fit will be much more superior compared to others. Not to mention, MacGregor insist that since there is a vast amount of magical energy inside him, if he didn't do this, then when he cast a magic, it will overload and explode unless he could completely control the output of his magic, which if the correct quantity is adjust perfectly, will make his magic stronger than most people.

Another reason why Itachi must be able to control his magic completely is because his magical energy is foreign to his body. When MacGregor scanned his body to see how much magic he has, he noted that his magical energy is not his own, and he feared that it might transform him into another being if it's not controlled. Unfortunately for MacGregor, there is an even bigger issue inside Itachi's body, which is connected not only to his body, but also to his soul. But since it's not magical in nature, MacGregor could not detect it.

Itachi noticed that throughout his trainings, he could feel his body becomes stronger. In fact he is more fit than when he was still in Elemental nations, and not to mention that his chakra reserves has also greatly increased, due to the rigorous training given (forced) to him. But that doesn't mean that he could use his jutsu or use his chakra on something that will quickly deplete it, or else his body will start to be in pain again.

As he reminiscent about all of this, Itachi couldn't help but have a wry smile on his face. This is due to the fact that his mentors never stop telling him how a devil should be able to withstand this kind of trainings, when he is clearly _not _a devil. He noted that, for some reason, Sirzechs seems to want to keep his identity as a human a secret from other people. As it is the only ones who currently know that he is a human are Sirzechs, Grayfia, Lord Gremory and Venelana, and Ajuka – these five people.

His musing however was brought to an end when he felt someone pulling him. Slowly he looks behind him, and see Rias sleepy form.

"Itachi~, where are you going?" asked Rias sleepily.

"Making some preparations for today's trainings" replied Itachi simply. He then smiled when he noticed that Rias seems to not register what he said due to her drowsiness. He is going to put her back to sleep when Rias mumbled something.

"But… today… I want to….spend time with you….and Sona…. Fuaaahh~" said Rias, before yawning and go back to sleep.

Itachi couldn't help but let out a warm smile at this, but then he frown a bit when he heard the name of a certain girl.

"_So…na..?"_ thought Itachi. Somehow, he feels that he heard that name somewhere before, but couldn't quite remember. Also, for some reason, he could feel that _something_ is now screaming at him to run and hides himself for the rest of the day. Itachi shrugs it off as a baseless feeling, and proceed to get out of the room.

If only he cared a bit more about things such as premonition, then he could avoid another problematic encounter with a certain problematic Satan and her sister. As it is, what awaits him is a brand new level of headache.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

**[Gremory castle]**

"_Well…that was certainly sudden…" _thought one Uchiha Itachi.

This is because Sirzechs suddenly informed him that today's training will be canceled, because there will be a very special guests coming over to the Gremory castle.

Of course Sirzechs didn't tell him that it was due to Rias pleaded to spend time with Itachi and Sona that he cancelled the training. Sirzechs, being a siscon that he is, could never say no to his younger sister, and immediately agree to her request.

"_A guest, huh…. It's probably this Sona that Rias talked about" _thought Itachi.

"!" There it is again. _Something_ is telling him to hide himself when he thought about the name 'Sona' or he would suffer tragedy. Again, he shrugs it off as baseless feelings and wanders around the castle until Rias suddenly grabs him.

"There you are" said Rias while pouting. Itachi couldn't help but be confused as to why she looks upset.

"I told you this morning, right? Today I want to spend time with you and Sona. I could finally meet Sona again after a long time, and I want to introduce you to her" declared Rias. Itachi blink twice and then wondered what's her relationship with this Sona is, because she looks happy when she talks about her friend. Rias who saw his musing then realized about what he is thinking (in a very wrong direction).

"Ah! Don't get the wrong idea!" shouted Rias. Itachi tilt his head slightly in confusion as to why she suddenly shout like that.

"Sona is just a childhood friend! And a girl too! There's no way that I have a romantic feeling for her!" Rias continue shouting her denial, which made Itachi to look at her passively due to what she just said.

….

…..

…..

"I never speculated anything like that…." state Itachi which caused Rias to become surprised.

…

…..

"…Eh….?" Rias was surprised that Itachi didn't misunderstood her relationship with Sona and becomes dumbstruck. Itachi sigh at this, and proceed to poked Rias in the forehead as usual.

"Mouuuu~" Rias whined, but before she could protest as usual, Itachi beat her to it.

"So…where is she now?" asked Itachi. He didn't need to ask when she would come, because it's clearly today. However suddenly he realized something important.

"_Wait… Didn't Sirzechs-san say guests? Which means this 'Sona' is not the only one coming…."_ As he thought of this, he was suddenly struck by a feeling of dread from an unknown source. It's literally begging him to just abandon Rias and put his own safety above all else. But his attention was caught by Rias reply.

"Sona will soon arrive in the living room. That's why we need to go there now!" said Rias who then proceeds to put her hands around Itachi's left arm.

With that, Itachi is drag away by Rias to the living room, but before they could enter, comes a voice of a certain mahou shoujo from inside.

"Muuuu~. So-tan~. Stop sulking like that~" whined the mahou shoujo who is none other than Serafall.

The moment he heard this voice, Itachi froze on his track. Even Rias couldn't drag him, because he seems to be rooted to the floor.

"I am not sulking, Onee-sama. I simply upset that you did not even considered changing your attire" state So-tan, or rather, Sona.

"But, this outfit is so cute~. It's a sin not to wear it~" explained Serafall. Sona however has an incredulous look on her face, and proceed to push up her glasses.

"It's a matter of being appropriate, Onee-sama" state Sona in a tone that left no rooms for argument.

"Mou~! Sona-chan meanie~! Just admit that you want to wear this too~" whined Serafall while pouting at the same time.

"I-I don't want to wear that kind of outfit, Onee-sama!" shouted Sona. Rias, who heard the conversations couldn't help giggling, but then stops when she saw Itachi's face.

"Itachi~. What's wrong? Are you sick?" Rias voice pulled him out of his frozen state. He then proceeds to shake his head.

"It's….nothing. I'm fine….Rias…."

"Really?"

"Yes"

Really really?"

"Yes"

"But you look pale"

"It's just your imagination…"

"Mou~. I know what I see, Itachi~"

"It's just your imagination…"

With that, their arguments continue, but unfortunately for the young man, their arguments were heard by the people in the living room. Slowly, the door to the living room is opened and at that moment….

"Ah" came the surprised voice of Serafall when her gazes fell on Itachi's back.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH~" Suddenly Serafall shouted which surprised both Rias and Sona at the older female reaction. Serafall suddenly leaped towards the young man while screaming something.

"IT'S… IT-TAAAAANNNN~!" screamed Serafall. Let's ignore the nickname, shall we?

The moment before she reaches him, Itachi quickly steps to the side. This caused Serafall to not only miss her target, but also to skid on the floor.

Rias and Sona, seeing the scene that just being displayed in front of them, have a blank look on their faces.

Serafall who is lying on the ground, has tears on her eyes due to the pain from the skidding, and she looks like she's going to start crying.

Itachi, on the other hand, slowly bring his right hand to his face and start massaging his temple due to the headache caused by this, while letting out an audible sigh.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

"So…" began Sona.

"So?" questioned Itachi.

"Will you forgive my sister's behavior towards you just now?" asked Sona with a shameful look. This is to be expected, since her sister just suddenly leaped and tried to assault someone.

"Tehe~!" said sister only sticks out her tongue while lightly hitting her head.

After the failed assault by Serafall, they're all currently sitting on the sofas in the living room, with Rias sits right beside Itachi and Sona and Serafall across them. Sona introduced herself to Itachi as the heiress of the Sitri clan and though Itachi wanted to address her by her family name, but she insists that since he is a friend of Rias, he could address her by her given name.

"It's not that much of a problem…" assured Itachi. However Sona still skeptical about his answer and proceed to bow her head.

"I am really sorry for her behavior" Itachi sigh at this and only closes his eyes.

"So-tan~. He did say that it's not a problem, right It-tan?" said Serafall with a very cute smile that would make most men faltered. However, Itachi is not most men.

"….." Itachi ignored her.

"Ne~. It-tan~." Serafall called out to Itachi again.

"…." Itachi ignored her again

"….Itachi-chan" said Serafall while sulking.

"What is it, Serafall-san?" Itachi finally gave her his attention.

"It's not a problem right?" asked Serafall with a glare.

"No, it's not" Itachi ignored the glare sends towards him by the mahou shoujo and replied with a monotone voice.

…

…

"…..Then what's with the monotone?'

"This is how I usually speaks" Itachi simply explained.

"Really? Why do I have… eh? What's wrong Rias-chan?" Serafall's sentence was cut when she saw Rias. Itachi turned his attention to Rias, and true enough she's trembling right now.

"….Rias, what's wrong?" asked Itachi. He looks at her with concerns on his face, but she only continues to tremble.

"Itachi…." slowly Rias called out to him.

"Hm?" Itachi slightly tilt his head in curiosity, while Sona and Serafall have a questioning looks on their faces, because they never saw Rias like this before.

"I turned my sight away from you for a moment….and then you became intimate with even Serafall-sama…." said Rias while still trembling, but this time a red aura envelops her body. The three people besides her become dumbstruck at what Rias just said. The moment of silence, however, doesn't last long, because it was broken by Serafall's giggle.

"Ara ara~. What's this~? Is Rias-chan jealous by any chance?" teased Serafall who is now hugging Rias.

"!" Rias only shows a shocked face from Serafall's guess, and it's most obvious what this mean.

"Really now, Rias. To be jealous of Onee-sama, of all people?" asked Sona with an incredulous look on her face. Rias only shoots her a glare while pouting at the same time.

"Ah! So-tan! What do you mean by that?!" pouted Serafall.

"It's exactly what I meant" replied Sona without hesitation. Now this caused Serafall to sulk together with Rias.

Regaining his bearing, Itachi let out a small sigh, and then he stares at Rias passively.

"Rias" Itachi called out to her. He then quickly move in front of Rias who still sulking.

"What?" pouted Rias who looks up to see Itachi, but then received….

POKE

His trademark poking.

"Ah!" Rias quickly move her hands to her forehead, in order to protect it from another poking.

"I don't know why you think that I hold an intimate relationship with Serafall-san…..but I clearly don't…so stop sulking over a small thing" explained Itachi with a serious gaze on his eyes.

"It's a small thing for you…." whispered Rias who began to sulk again.

"Hm?" Itachi couldn't hear what she said.

"It's nothing. Then why did Serafall-sama tried to hug you?" pressed Rias. Hearing this Serafall suddenly stand up and almost declared something that would definitely bring more chaos to this situation.

"That's because Itachi-chan and I are…mmmpfff!" before she could say those abominable words, Sona covers her mouth and pulled her to the background. Seeing this, Itachi massages his temple and sigh, with Serafall's muffled voice can be heard in the background.

"Isn't it because her personality likes that?" Itachi said while gesturing towards Serafall who still struggling to get out of Sona's grip. Rias look at her for a moment, but she still remains skeptical because of the way Itachi addressed Serafall.

"Then…." Rias began slowly.

"?"

"Why did you address her as 'Serafall-san' instead of 'Serafall-sama'?" Rias interrogated Itachi with a suspicious glare.

"…..What?" Itachi became confused at what Rias just said. He wonders whether there's something wrong with the way he addressed the mahou shoujo.

"I am also curious about that" stated Sona. "After all… this is the first time I've heard someone, outside of their own peerages and relatives who addressed a Satan with a suffix '-san' instead of '-sama'" explained Sona. Itachi becomes silent because of what she just said.

….

…

…

"…..A….._Satan…_?" Itachi looks at Serafall with an incredulous expression on his face. Serafall then let out a smug smile and puff up her chest.

"That's right~! I'm the one and only, LEVIA-TAAAAA….." before she could finish her declaration, Sona quickly cut her sister's embarrassing introduction.

"What Onee-sama meant to say was that she is the one who hold the title of Leviathan" explained Sona quickly. Serafall pout at her sister's interruption and starts to whine.

"…."

"Itachi….you didn't know?" asked Rias with a curious tone.

"No…. I didn't know…." replied Itachi.

No, the truth is he knows. He knows the one who hold the title of Leviathan is someone named Serafall, but his mind didn't want to acknowledge that the Satan Leviathan is the same person as the mahou shoujo Serafall that he met. After all, how could the underworld be so peaceful, when one of its leaders is a mahou shoujo with a child's mentality?

"Ah! So you didn't know…. That's good…" said Rias in a relieved voice and with a small smile on her lips. "After all…if you didn't know…then it can't be helped right?" whispered Rias. Itachi raised a brow at what Rias just said and look at her face for a moment, but then decides not to dwell in it.

"Are you by chance a reincarnated devil?" asked Sona. After all, if he is a pure devil than he should know that her sister is one of the Satan. Itachi, seeing her questioning gaze, only nod and decides to let the information flows as it is. He does not need any complications that might arise – especially from a certain red-haired girl, if they know that he is a human.

"So that's explains it…" conclude Sona.

"But So-tan! Itachi-chan is cruel, you know? After all, I wanted him to call me 'Sera-chan', but instead he called me 'Serafall-san'!" whined the mahou shoujo

With the bomb that was drop by Serafall, the room temperature hit zero degree and red aura envelops Rias once more. Watching this, Sona only shakes her head, while Serafall is being oblivious to what she has just done. As for Itachi, he starts massaging his temple again, while feeling a massive headache on his head.

Unknown to him, it's just the beginning of his long, long predicaments.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx

**[Gremory castle – garden]**

After the living room mayhems which caused Itachi to have a severe headache, currently he is sitting on a chair while facing Sona with a chess board on the table. Itachi let out a small sigh at this, since he never play this brand of chess, and had only play shogi before while wondering how things become like this. However, that does not mean that he has no knowledge regarding this brand of chess, since he read about it quite a few times and already memorized the rules of the game.

As it is, he was actually forced by Sona to face her in chess due to what Serafall said.

"_You know, So-tan~. I wonder who would win if you and Itachi-chan faced each other in a chess game"_

"_Itachi-chan seems very smart so I think he could provide a decent challenge for you"_

"_In fact, I think he has what it takes to defeat you in chess~"_

It seems Serafall's final remark does not sit well for Sona. Right after she heard that, she asked Rias whether she could borrow Itachi for a game of chess. Surprisingly, Rias does not mind, in fact she seems interested in this. When Itachi asked her why she does not mind, she only replies that chess is a popular game in the underworld and she wants to see how Sona play, because she hasn't seen her playing for a while.

Itachi let out another sigh and then proceeds to stare at the board.

"I let you pick the colour since I'm the one who challenged you. Which colour do you want? Black or white?" asked Sona. It didn't even take a ten second for Itachi to answer.

"Black" said Itachi without hesitation. Sona raise her brows at this.

"Are you sure? You don't want to have the first move?" questioned Sona. Itachi only gives a nod of confirmation.

"If that's what you want then…." Sona began placing the chess pieces on the board using her magic, while Itachi contemplate about what the girl's in front of him is capable of.

"GO GO So-tan~! GO GO It-tan~!" came the cheering from Serafall who is sitting on the sideline alongside Rias who for some reason, staring seriously at the chess board.

"Well then…shall we begin?" asked Sona. Itachi only nod again.

The game was fierce if you want to describe it. Throughout the game, Itachi was marveled by the girl's intellect, and he even compared it to that of Shikaku of Nara clan and he has no doubt that she will grow even smarter in the future. As it is, the things that made Itachi superior than her are his superior analytical ability, his experiences and the ability to make a precise predictions on enemy moves, and most importantly is his ability to manipulate a person's moves so that she would arrive at his predicted outcomes. However his own predicted victory was foiled when he heard the declaration made by Serafall.

"So-tan~! It-tan~! The winner of this match will receive a special hug from magical Levia-tan~"

Itachi right hand which is currently holding his bishop twitches slightly. He then turns his eyes towards Serafall's direction and true enough, she looks serious about it.

Itachi sweat dropped at this and considers his options. He really doesn't want to be hug by her again, and thus after a brief moment of thinking he made that grave life-changing decision.

After a moment of intense and mind consuming moves, the victor is finally decided.

"Hm…. You've done well until the last moment, but with this….it's a checkmate" said Sona with a smile on her face. She never felt this exhilarate before. This is to be expected since there's hardly anyone that could give her a challenge in chess. But once again she proves to herself that she is unbeatable in this game.

"It's my lost….." with that Itachi bows his head and proceed to walk away from the garden.

"Ah! Itachi!" shouted Rias who is now running after Itachi.

"Ah~! I knew So-tan would win~" said Serafall who is now hugging Sona.

"It's not easy at all to win against him. In fact, I almost thought that I would lose" state Sona in a matter of fact voice. Serafall look at her for a moment before asking a certain question

"Mou~, So-tan~. If you lost to It-tan, what would you do?" asked Serafall, but then her sight fall to the chess board and she felt that there's something weird in the way the pieces are arranged.

"Isn't it obvious? But what a shame really, I thought I finally found a man who is suited to be my partner when he almost defeated me…" explained Sona with a smile. However, she receives no reply or remarks from Serafall, but before she could ask what's bothering her, the mahou shoujo beats her to it.

"Ne~, So-tan…. Don't you think the arrangement of these pieces is weird?" inquired Serafall. Sona raised her brow at this.

"Weird? How so?" Sona is now really confused since she doesn't feel that there's anything weird at all at the game.

"I mean…look at this bishop here and this rook here. If It-tan moved it here and here, instead of here and here, wasn't So-tan would be the one who lose?" Sona blink twice, but then quickly see the chess pieces on the board. After looking at it for a moment, she agreed that it's indeed weird and thus she placed back all the pieces in the positions right before Itachi placed his bishop, and came into a conclusion.

"_He…..gave himself a handicap?" _thought Sona. It's a ridiculous notion, but for some reason she couldn't help but believe that was the case. Now, she felt anger boiling inside her, and quickly she stand up and dash towards where Itachi is.

"Ah! So-tan! Where are you going?' shouted Serafall.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Come on, Itachi~. Don't be gloomy just because you lost to Sona. I think you should be proud instead, since no one had ever managed to push her to the edge like that~" said Rias in an attempt to cheer Itachi. Unknown to her, however, Itachi does not mind losing to Sona, because after all he orchestrated his own defeat. No, what caused him to be deep in thought is regarding how long it would take for her to realize that her victory is not genuine. After all, someone with her intellect is bound to realize that he gave her the victory on purpose.

His musing was brought to an end, when he heard the sound of someone running towards him. He slowly turns around, and as he expected, it was Sona who came running towards him with an angry expression on her face.

"HERE YOU ARE…." Although she said those words in her normal tone, but Itachi can feel the weight that it carries, and right now it screams punishment for him.

"Is there something that you need from me, Sona-san?" asked Itachi, although he knows what she wants.

"YES…. Right now I want to spank you a thousand times….." declared Sona slowly. Right now her visage is completely demonic, and because her glasses reflect the light of the afternoon sun, Itachi couldn't see her eyes. However he could feel the murderous intent from the girl in front of him.

"…..Why?" Itachi asked the reason for her desire to spank him, and although he knows very well the reason for that, he simply needs to make sure.

"….Just feels like it….." replied Sona without hesitation.

…..

…..

…..

Itachi sweat dropped and become speechless at the girl's answer, however salvation comes in a form of a red-haired girl.

"Sona! I won't let you harm Itachi!" declared Rias while spreading her arms in front of Itachi, as if to protect him from something very dangerous.

"…"

"….Rias…." Sona slowly began.

"What!"

"…..move….." finished Sona.

Now, this wouldn't be a scary sight to behold, if not for the fact that the girl has a bluish aura envelops her. Rias, however, remain adamant in protecting Itachi and let out her own red aura. Itachi felt a migraine in his head and starts to regret his decision back then.

"Sona-san" Itachi called out to Sona.

"What is it….?" replied Sona sternly.

"What are you angry about…?" It's not a question meant to be answered. It's a question meant to stop the girls from fighting. He knows why she was angry with him, and he realize that it was indeed his mistake, but that doesn't mean that he would allow this petty quarrel to destroy the friendship between both girls.

Sona and Rias become silence from Itachi's question. It's not the matter of the question for Sona knows why she is angry at him. However, for some reason, she becomes unnerved when Itachi asked that question, even though he said it with a calm voice. So, she slowly subside her anger and aura, the same goes for Rias who is now look a bit frightened.

"I….!" Sona tried to speak but Itachi interrupts her.

"What are you angry about?" he asked the question again, to make sure that Sona doesn't deviate from the topic.

…

…

….

"I…..I am angry at you….because you were looking down on me…." began Sona after she regained her bearing. Itachi raise a brow at this and Rias looks surprised and tried to defend Itachi, but he stops her from doing so by holding out his hand in front of her. Rias only pout at this.

"Looking down on you? I never did that…." explained Itachi. However Sona is unconvinced.

"Then…what's with the handicap….. Did you think that I wouldn't be so much of a challenge if you didn't do that?" Sona interrogated Itachi, but her body is trembling either from anger or something else, no one's know.

….

…

"_So…she indeed found out" _thought Itachi. He couldn't help but grow a small smile on his face; after all, this young girl has surpassed his expectations. He then decides to tell her the true reason as to why he gave himself a handicap while complimenting her.

"Impressive…. For you to be able to found out in such a short time…." Itachi complimented Sona, but Sona instead grew angry at this.

"So you really…!" before she could finish her sentence she was cut by Itachi who held out his hand in front of her.

"I could tell you the reason if you're willing to listen…."

"!"

"Are you willing to listen?" asked Itachi. Sona only gives a nod at this.

Itachi let out a small sigh, and then prepared to tell her and Rias the reason why he made himself lost in that match.

"….It's because…..of the winner's prize" finished Itachi while closing his eyes.

"….."

"…"

Rias and Sona become silent after hearing Itachi's answer, and after gulping her spit, Sona open her mouth to speak.

"So…basically….you lost on purpose…because you didn't want to be hugged by Onee-sama?" Sona slowly asked.

Itachi only nod at this.

"…..Pfft"

"?"

"Fufufufufu~"

"Huhuhuhuhu~!"

Rias and Sona start laughing which caused Itachi to look at them with a blank face.

"I-Itachi….scared of Serafall-sama~. Ahahaha~!" Rias couldn't contain her laughter anymore and proceeds to hold her stomach.

"Huhuhuhuhuhu~. This is the first time I've seen someone who is so adamant not to be hugged by my sister that he would even sacrifice his victory" said Sona while also trying to hold her laughter.

Itachi let out a small sigh at this and decides not to say anything.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

"So…that's how it was…." said one Serafall Leviathan who then began to sulk.

"So…because of me…not only It-tan sacrificed his victory, but So-tan and Rias-chan almost fought each other…. *hic*" said Serafall while sniffling. Sona and Rias quickly went to her side to comfort and assured her that it wasn't her fault. Itachi on the other hand only sweat dropped at this, but then decides to give her his own assurance.

"Serafall-san. As Rias and Sona-san said, it's not entirely your fault. In fact, I'm also to be blamed for making that decision."

"But~" before Serafall could say another words, Itachi interrupt her.

"No but. It's also my fault. Besides, I don't want to see a friend of mine saddened by the things that they love to do" state Itachi with a voice that left no rooms for arguments.

….

….

…..

"….Thank you….It-tan…." said Serafall with a small smile. Itachi, Rias and Sona smiled back at this, but what they didn't notice is that there's a very faint blush on Serafall's face.

"Well then, Sona-san…"

"What is it?"

"You said you want to punish me…" Itachi couldn't finish his sentence, because Sona interrupt him.

"A-ah. Let's just forget about that, shall we?" stuttered Sona with an embarrass look.

"..." Itachi who doesn't want to complicate things again only nod, and then proceed to open his mouth.

"If you don't want to punish me anymore, then surely there's something that I could do to make it up to you" state Itachi. Sona consider this for a moment and then let out a sly smile.

"Well~. There is one way you could make it up to me" said Sona with a playful tone which is very rare to be heard from her.

"Is it a rematch?" inquired Itachi.

"No, I already know what the results will be if you were to take me on seriously but I sure would like to face you again"

"Then?" asked Itachi with curiousity in his voice. Sona's smile widens and then she point at Itachi.

"You must become my _'Partner'_" declared Sona with a faint blush. Serafall look shocked at this and even Rias's jaw drop because of what Sona just said. Unfortunately, Itachi who has zero interest in romance couldn't pick up the hidden meaning in that single word.

"If you're fine with someone like me….then alright" replied Itachi without a single bit of hesitation. Both Serafall and Rias become as pale as ghost after hearing his answer.

"It's a promise, then. Shall we head back, Onee-sama?" said Sona with a satisfied smile on her face, while preparing a magic circle. She then leaves one last remark to Itachi.

"By the way, Itachi. From now on…. I want you to just call me Sona, without any honorifics" with that she teleported back to the Sitri castle.

"A-aahh~! Wait for me, So-tan!" shouted Serafall who then proceeds to teleport as well.

After the siblings vanished, Itachi let out a tired sigh, because of what happened today. Unfortunately he is presented with another problem, in the form of an angry Rias.

Looking at her angry form with a tired mind, Itachi suddenly have an idea on how to make Rias independent. In other words, she wouldn't sleep with him anymore or at least not as often as before.

"Rias"

"What?!" asked Rias with a cross mark visible on her head. Itachi ignored this however in favors of saying his idea.

"From now on, if you want to sleep with me at night….you must defeat me in a game of chess first"

"!" Rias became very shock at what she just heard, to the point that she becomes speechless.

"In addition, you are only allowed to challenge me twice a day. Do you have any objections?"

"O-of course I have an objection! W-what's with that one-sided agreement?!" yelled Rias, upset that she couldn't sleep with Itachi if she doesn't win a game against him. However, Itachi only look at her passively and then voice his reason.

"It's for your own good. You're already old enough to feel embarrassed to sleep with other people, especially one of opposite gender. If you continue to sleep with me, I'm worried that you wouldn't be able to sleep alone in the future" explained Itachi. Rias became shock again after hearing this.

"B-but what makes you think that I could defeat you, if even Sona acknowledged that you are superior to her?!" Rias tried to make Itachi scrap the idea, but it's to no avail.

"Then….you just need to train and come up with a way to defeat me right?" said Itachi before he starts walking away to relocate himself to a new room. Rias chased after him while still shouting at him.

Itachi however did not realize that today's event is the first of the many causes of headache for him in the future.

Let's move on to the next section, shall we?

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**~ 1 year ago ~ [Human world]**

"_So…this is how the human world's looks like"_ thought one Uchiha Itachi. His appearance didn't change much from two years ago, except that he is now taller with his hair longer and tied into a low ponytail and carries a katana on his left hip. He also has a ring on his left index finger which is a gift from Ajuka.

"Waaahh~, so this is the human world…" Rias voice out his thought with such a great enthusiasm to the point that her face is literally sparkling.

"Itachi~, let's go over there" said Rias while pointing at a shrine.

"Wait a moment, Rias. I need to conceal my katana first" said Itachi while putting down his katana and preparing to cast an illusion upon the katana so that people wouldn't register it as a katana.

"That's why I told you to leave 'Kanesada' back home" scold Rias. Itachi only smile at this while continue to cast illusion upon the katana.

This katana, 'Kanesada' or formally known as 'Izumo-no-Kami Kanesada' is a katana that was once belongs to Hijikata Toshizo. It was entrusted to Souji upon his death and after Itachi has completely stolen and mastered every single kenjutsu techniques from Souji in just two years, Souji decides to entrust 'Kanesada' to him. Although Itachi was reluctant to accept such an important katana, but after Souji insist that Hijikata would be delighted that 'Kanesada' is going to be hold by such a talented swordsman and said that this is what he would want, Itachi accepts it albeit with some reluctance. After a while, he came to treasured the katana and noted that although it's not the strongest katana in existence (though it's still one of the best), but 'Kanesada's' compatibility with magic and chakra is very high to the point that it's very easy to channel his magic or chakra to its blade.

"It's done. Let's go" said Itachi after he tied the katana to his hip again.

"Okay~" With that Rias grabbed Itachi's hand and starts guiding (dragging) him to where she wants to go.

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**[Abandoned shrine]**

"Look Itachi! We could see the whole city from here"

Rias and Itachi is currently standing on the top of the staircase and looking at the view of the city.

"Itachi~. Look! Over there is Kuoh academy" said Rias while pointing at a wooden building on the distance.

"Kuoh… If I'm not mistaken, it's the school that is managed by both Lord Gremory and Lord Sitri, right?" asked Itachi. Rias nod and confirm it.

"Yes. Otou-sama and Sona's father built that school so that young devils like us could experience the life and educations in the human world. Although, currently it's still an all-girls school, so male devils are not allowed to be there" explained Rias.

"….Currently?"

"Ah. Yes. Otou-sama and Lord Sitri made a plan to turn the school into a co-ed sometime soon" explained Rias. She then added in a whisper. "That way… You could attend it with me, and we won't be separated" whispered Rias with a slight blush on her face. However, she didn't realize that Itachi already left his spot and is currently staring at the abandoned shrine. She was surprised when she turn her head and found out the man's already gone. She then spots him staring at the abandoned shrine, but before she could scold him for not paying attention to her, he raises his voice.

"I know you're in there, and I know you've been watching us since we arrived here. It's useless to hide any longer" said Itachi with a loud voice. Rias is now curious who Itachi spokes to, but before she could ask him, the shrine door slowly open.

"…."

What greets them is a young girl, the same age as Rias. She has a long black hair tied into a ponytail, a beautiful face for a girl and wears a kimono. However, her dirty appearance tells a different story about her. To Rias, she looks like a child that had just been abandoned by her parents and looks like she's very sad. But to Itachi, who could saw through deception, instead of a sad girl, what he saw is instead someone who lost her will to live. It's the look of someone who would not hesitate to end her life. Not to mention, Itachi could see the darkness in her eyes, as if she's blaming something or someone for her current situation.

The girl slowly looks at the two of them, and tried to speak, but Rias beat her to it.

"Are you alright? What are you doing here all alone?" asked Rias with concerns in her voice.

"…." Itachi decides to just watch how things would turn out.

"….." The girl looks baffled by the sudden questions from the foreigner in front of her. She then tried to speak again but Rias beats her to it again.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Rias Gremory and that person over there is Itachi" said Rias while pointing at Itachi.

"I'm Uchiha Itachi" said Itachi simply.

"What's your name?" asked Rias. The girl again looks baffled by the attitude of the girl in front of her.

"My name…is Akeno. Himejima…Akeno" said the girl who is now identified as Akeno in a dry voice, but with a smile on her face.

Itachi noticed that the girl's voice was like that because her throat lacks liquid. Meaning that she probably has not drank anything for few days. So he slowly walks away to find an empty bottle (there are lots of bottle thrown away in an abandoned shrine) while letting the girls, or in this case, Rias talks. After he found a quite big bottle, he used his fire magic combined with his water magic to clean up and sterilize the bottle. He then proceeds to create another set of magic circle and let water poured into the bottle. After checking that the amount and quality of the water is more than sufficient, he then returns to the two girls' side.

"Here. Drink this" said Itachi while handing over the bottle of water. The girl look surprised for being suddenly handed over a bottle of water.

"…"

"I know you're very thirsty right now. So quickly drink that or else you might get dehydrated. You could explain your situation after that" explained Itachi. Akeno only nod at this and then proceeds to gulp down the water. Rias who watch this scene wondered when Itachi bought a bottle of water. Itachi who saw her confusion made mouth movements. Fortunately Rias could read what Itachi was saying and he only said the word 'magic'.

After Akeno finished gulping down the last of the water, she thanked them for their kindness, and decides to explain her situation as to why she is here all alone. She explained that she was a child born from a relationship between a human and a fallen angel, and her mother was shunned by her family because of this. She explained how after her mother's dead, she stayed with relatives of her mother, but then they kicked her out, because of her fallen angel blood which led her to stay in this abandoned shrine. However, the most surprising part of her story was when she explained that her father let her mother be killed, because he wasn't there to protect her and thus devastating her life. She then state how she hates her father because he let those tragedy happened.

Rias couldn't help but sympathise with the girl's situation, however Itachi has a different opinion about what she just said and then he voice out his distaste.

"How….ridiculous…." Itachi slowly said which incite a surprised reaction to both Rias and Akeno. Rias, because she never heard Itachi's voice carries such a distaste before, and Akeno, because the young man in front of her just said that her life was ridiculous. The black-haired girl then stands up and proceeds to slaps Itachi, but failed to do so, because he grabbed her wrist.

"Did you say that my life was ridiculous?" Akeno slowly asked but her eyes looks very dangerous and her voice carries so much venom that it greatly unnerved Rias. However none of those have any effect on Itachi who continue to talk.

"I meant your hatred towards your father…" Itachi said sternly with an equally stern gaze.

"!" Akeno starts to tremble after hearing this and attempt to release herself from Itachi's hold, but to no avail. She then starts yelling at Itachi.

"What do you know?! That man abandoned 'Kaa-sama' and me when we were attacked! He didn't come to help us and let her die! How could you say that my hatred towards him is ridiculous?!" yelled Akeno who is now breathing hard, because it's unusual for her to lash out like this.

Itachi only continue to look at her sternly, but Akeno took this as him still ridiculing her hatred towards her father and about to lash out again. However she was stopped when Itachi's gaze becomes so intense that it made her lost all the nerves to yell at him. Even Rias couldn't help but be frightened, because she never saw Itachi like this. Itachi then slowly open his mouth and talk.

"Do you really hate your father? Or, do you want to hate your father?" asked Itachi.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you truly hate your father, or do you want to hate him in order to use that as an excuse to escape from your pain?" asked Itachi again. This made Akeno's anger to starts boiled again, and then she yelled at him again.

"Of course I hate him! He let those things happened after all! He …!" Akeno couldn't finish her yelling, because Itachi cut her voice with a very stern one.

"He failed to protect the person that he loves and now even his own daughter hates him. Do you realize how painful it must be for your father?" questioned Itachi. However this only serves to further angered Akeno.

"What do you know about him?! How could you even be so sure that he loves us, loves me?!" yelled Akeno while panting.

"Simple…you're still alive…" Itachi replied simply.

"!"

"Have you ever asked yourself, why you're able to survive till now? Why the enemies that killed your mother didn't come after you, despite the fact that they could use you against him, or carried out their revenge by killing you as well? Have you ever thought that maybe your father is protecting you even as we speak? That he regretted not being able to save his wife and let you suffers like this? That he punished himself by not allowing himself to see you? Have you ever thought about those?" asked Itachi with a stern gaze.

"But he….!"

"It is foolish to hate what you have yet to see and know!" scold Itachi in a very stern voice. Akeno become silent at this and then look down to the ground.

"If you want to hate your father, then hate him after you confirm the truth with your own eyes. And if the truth is indeed as you are suspected, then…." Itachi slowly moves towards her and did something that surprised Akeno and give Rias a shock.

HUG

He hugs her.

"We'll be there for you…"

….

…..

"…..We?"

"Yes… Me and Rias, we'll be there for you"

"Why?"

"Because you're already a friend….right? Rias?" Itachi asked Rias while still hugging Akeno. Rias smiled at this.

"Of course!" chirped Rias. Itachi then release Akeno from his hug and gave her a very warm smile.

"Me and Rias already views you as a friend. We will not let you be alone and will always be there for you…alright?" asked Itachi.

Akeno who heard this suddenly has tears on her eyes, and starts crying on Itachi's chest. Itachi and Rias share a knowing look and at that moment the decision was made.

"A*hic*Alri*hic*Alright…" said Akeno between sniffles. Itachi look down at Akeno and put his right hand on her head. Then he looks up to Rias again and Rias only nod.

After half an hour, when they finally managed to calm Akeno down, Itachi then proceeds to give her a proposal.

"Akeno…"

"Yes?" replied Akeno.

"Would you like to be a devil?" asked Itachi calmly.

"Eh?"

"As I said, would you like to be reincarnated as a devil?" Itachi asked her again. Akeno look at him for a moment with a blank face, before proceed to put a hand on her cheek.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. So this is what you're aiming….." Akeno said while giggling. Itachi meanwhile remains passive at this.

"To make a girl fall for you, only to turn her into a devil and made her your slave for the rest of her life...you sure are one cunning man" said Akeno while blushing. Itachi only sweat dropped at what she just said and the change in her personality. He let out a small sigh and starts explaining things to her.

"So…it's Rias that will become my master…" said Akeno.

"Yes" answered Rias while Itachi just nod.

"What a pity… I wouldn't mind having Itachi as a 'master'…" whispered Akeno. Although Itachi couldn't hear what Akeno said, but for some reason he shuddered when she said the word 'master'.

"So? Do you agree or not?" asked Rias.

"Do I really need to say?" asked Akeno while smiling.

Rias nod at her with a smile, and starts bringing out her evil pieces. Unsurprisingly, she became a queen, since Itachi could sense her potential the moment they met. He then looks contently at the two girls chatting, but after a moment, he shifts his gaze towards a certain building and activated his sharingan.

"_Now then…._"

"_It's time to give the other spectator a visit and to test whether this ring is working or not"_ thought Itachi while looking at the ring on his left hand.

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**(Flashback) [Sirzechs castle]**

"Sirzechs-san…. Did you need me for something?" asked Itachi after he appeared from the magic circle.

Instead of Sirzechs the one who awaits and greets him was…..

"Hey there, Itachi"

Ajuka Beelzebub who is currently drinking a tea alone.

"…."

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not gonna dissect you if that's what you want to know"

"Wh-" Before he could even said a word, Ajuka cut it.

"I'm here, because I have something to discuss with Sirzechs, but he is apparently out right now, so I decides to call you instead"

"Wh-" Ajuka cut him again before he could speak.

"I have something that I must give to you" With that he held out a hand and formulas appear from the air and starts to condense into the ring. The ring then moves to Itachi's hand and he becomes surprised when he saw this ring.

It's not because of the material used to create the ring. No, it's because of the design of the ring. This ring looks like an exact copy of his akatsuki's ring. The only difference is that it lacks the kanji on the ring.

"_Is it a coincidence?"_ thought Itachi. However his train of thought was abruptly stopped when Ajuka starts speaking again.

"Itachi, I'm going to be honest with you about your condition" said Ajuka in a very serious tone. Itachi only look at him passively and then gives a nod for him to starts explaining.

Ajuka told Itachi what he told to Sirzechs. He told him that he created that ring to suppress the unknown power within him so that it wouldn't kill him. However he also told him that he doesn't know how effective it is until he tried it out.

**(End Flash back)**

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With that, Itachi slowly bring his hands together to form a hand seal and activate a certain jutsu.

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**[Building rooftop]**

"Haaa~h. That Shemhazai. Making me do this kind of thing. I'm not a babysitter you know" whined a man with black hair who looks to be in his twenties. He is currently lying down on the rooftop of a building while lazily looking at the direction of the abandoned shrine.

"He knew I'm busy with my 'research' yet he still forced me to go here" said the man while pulling out an envelope.

"But still, that Baraqiel, how could he just left his daughter like that and then asked me to look after her. I know he has a lot of issues with her, but still…." He continued to whine, but then he pulled out a binocular.

"Although…. I never expected that someone from the Gremory clan would meet her and made her a devil. That red-hair of hers….Hm?" he couldn't finish his sentence, because his attention was caught by a young man who suddenly look at his direction.

"Did he….noticed me? No….It's not possible. I'm several miles away from him, not to mention I put up a barrier around me…" muttered the man. However, he becomes really surprised when all of the sudden the young man black eyes turn into red with three little tomoes on it.

"!"

"What's with those eyes…?" For some reason, he really feels unnerved when looking at those eyes. It's as if those eyes knows where he is and could see through him.

"I need to research this. I better return now" And with that the man slowly stood up, but then he stiffened and after a few moment he hold up his hands.

"Well, well. This is a surprise~" said the man in an easygoing manner. Although he said it in that manner, but the truth is he is having a cold sweat running on his back right now.

This is to be expected, since right now; behind him is the boy who is currently standing beside the two girls in the shrine several miles away, and with his katana pointed at the man's neck. He was completely caught off guard by this young man. Not to mention, he couldn't understand how this young man can be here, when he is clearly standing on another place faraway from here.

"…." said young man only continue to point his katana in silent.

"Tell me, kid… How is it possible for you to be here when you're clearly over there?" asked the man while gesturing towards the young man in the distance.

"…..It is none of your concern" said the young man in a very cold voice. The man becomes more agitate because of this.

"Is it perhaps some kind of magic?" inquired the man after gulping down his spit.

"….No. It's simply one of my ability…"

"Ability….?" The man becomes more and more nervous after hearing this. He then decides to voice out his speculation.

….

…..

"Kid…..tell me…..are you…."

"?"

"Are you by any chance…o_mnipresent_?" said the man with a nervous voice. It's understandable; after all, omnipresence is something that only God possess. And if he is indeed omnipresent, then that could only mean one thing.

"….I'll leave that to your imagination. Right now there's a more pressing issue"

"….And that is….?"

"Who are you?"

"…"

"You've been watching us, since the moment we arrived in this city. And you've also watched Akeno…. So…who are you?"

…..

…

….

"Azazel….. I'm Azazel…." introduced the man who is now identified as Azazel.

"The Governor General of the fallen angels, huh? Which means that the reason you are here is to keep an eye on your friend's daughter…am I correct?"

"That's right…. I'm doing a favor for a close friend of mine who refused to meet his own daughter, because of his failure" explained Azazel.

"….."

Slowly the young man sheathed his katana and Azazel turn around, to see the young man's face. As he expected, the young man's eyes are red with three little tomoes on it.

"Can I ask you a question?" Azazel asked slowly.

"Only if you answer a question of mine" replied the young man.

"Heh. Cheeky brat…" Azazel said with an amused smile.

"Fine. I'll answer your question. But first tell me…what are those eyes of yours?" The young man looks passively at Azazel and then only said one word.

"Sharingan"

"What?"

"It's called Sharingan and that's all I would say to you…" said the young man with a tone of finality.

….

….

"Sharingan….eh? Okay, then asked me your question…"

"Tell me the truth about Akeno's situation" The young man said in a voice that literally says he can't lie in front of him.

Azazel was taken aback at this, but decides to comply and starts telling him the whole story.

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"Itachi… what's wrong?" asked Rias after she finally noticed that Itachi seems to be deep in thought. Itachi look at her and then look at Akeno. He then let out a small sigh.

"It's nothing… Let's go back…" with that he prepared a magic circle and then transports them back to Gremory castle, all the while thinking that the ring has done a good job in suppressing the unknown power, although he still can feel a slight tug in his body.

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"Haaaaaaaaah. What a day…." sighed Azazel. He then remembered what Itachi said before he disappeared in a puff of smoke and smile.

"_Don't worry. I will look after her well-being…."_

"I leave it to you then….Itachi…." said Azazel while smiling and looking up to the evening sky. He then has a sudden thought regarding someone.

"_I wonder…. What would happen if Itachi and Vali were to meet?" _thought Azazel.

He didn't realize that one day they would face each other.

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The receptions to the arrival of Akeno were mixed. The Gremory family, Sirzechs and Serafall were happy that Rias finally got her first peerage. However Sona was displeased by the fact that Akeno seems to have a feeling for Itachi. She really doesn't want any more rivals, because Rias herself already seemingly claimed Itachi as exclusively hers.

Sometimes after that, Itachi discover another persona of Akeno aside from her elegant and gentle one when he saw her looking at a whip and candles with a face full of ecstasy. From that moment he decides that for the best of all people around her and herself, she needs to be kept away from this kind of things. Not that he could predict that she would become the greatest sadist the world has ever known.

Unfortunately for the male of the group, there will be a new addition in the group which would bring another headache for him.

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**~ 2 months ago ~ [Gremory castle]**

Itachi, Rias, and Akeno are currently sitting with Sirzechs across them. Besides him is a small white-haired girl who is looking very depressed. Sirzechs then explain to them that he wants Rias to take care of this girl here. Unfortunately, the girl is very quiet and anti-social to the point that she ignored them when they talked to her.

Every attempt to make the girl's talk and open up to them failed. In fact, for an entire month, the girl skillfully avoided them, and though Itachi knows where she was, he decides not to pry into her problem or forced her to open up. But everything changed on that day when he saw her eyes.

Her eyes greatly reminds him of Sasuke's eyes when he saw him killed their parents. It's the eyes of someone who is betrayed by the person she loves. At this, he couldn't help but felt that he needs to snap her out of it or else she might walk the same path as Sasuke.

Right now, Itachi is currently walking around the castle in searching for the little girl. There are several places where the girl might be hiding, so he needs to check each one of them. He then found her sitting on the tree near the lake while hugging her legs and burying her head in it. He suspects that she is crying right now, but he wouldn't let sentimentality hinder what needs to be done. So he slowly approached her and called out to her.

"Little girl…"

"….."

"I need to talk to you….."

"…"

"Will you come down?"

"….."

Receiving no answer or even recognition, Itachi then silently jump onto the tree and actually surprising the girl, because suddenly he is sitting beside her.

"If you don't want to come down then I just need to come up" said Itachi.

"….." The girl looks at him with a sad expression but then return to bury her head.

"Tell me….. What is it that caused you pain?" Itachi gently asked.

"…."

"Is it because of the betrayal of a person that you love?" asked Itachi.

"!" The girl becomes surprised at what Itachi just said.

"I'm not going to pry on your problem…., but just know this… If you choose the path of revenge, you would lose everything that is important to you…." explained Itachi.

"…Things….that are….important to me?" asked the girl while looking at Itachi. Itachi look at her for a moment, but then he gave her a tender smile, because the girl's finally open up to him.

"Yes…. For example… your family…." answered Itachi. The girl stiffened at this, and Itachi notice it.

"By family… I don't mean only your real family… but also your current one…" explained Itachi with a meaningful smile.

"My…..current….one…?" asked the girl while tilting her head in confusion.

"Yes… Me…Rias….Akeno, even Sirzechs-san and the others. We're all your family"

"….Why….?" asked the girls confuse with what Itachi just said.

"We have accepted you here, and those loyalties of us surpassed even blood"

"…."

"Do you know what it's called? That undying loyalties towards your friends, families and people who have accepted you?"

"…No…"

"The Will of Fire" Itachi said with a smile.

"….."

"Our Will of Fire have decides that you are a family, and we would never betray you. Now and in the future, we would always look after you even if you don't want it" declared Itachi.

"…" The young girl look perplexed at Itachi's declaration, but then she looks at his eyes, and she could see that he meant what he said.

Slowly, she hugs him and then starts sobbing and crying on his stomach. Itachi only do the same thing that he did to Akeno, puts his hand on her head and gently stroke her hair while waiting until she finish letting out her pent up sadness.

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After those tearful moments, Itachi brought the girl to Rias, and she apologized for being silent all this time. Rias happily accepts her apology, and decides to make her the second member of her peerage. The girl complies at this and after a brief moment of checking which piece suits her, she becomes Rias' first rook.

Rias then affectionately named her Koneko, because the girl really gives an impression of a kitten. Itachi sweat dropped at Rias' reasoning to name the white-haired girl 'Koneko' but decides to just accept it, since the girl herself said that she already abandoned her old life and name, the moment she became Rias' rook.

However what surprised all of them, including Itachi, was the moment when they celebrate the joining of Koneko. Instead of sitting on her chair, she quickly sits on his lap. Everyone, especially Rias, Akeno and Itachi, becomes very surprised at this. However, as if that is not enough, the white-haired girl then declares….

"My spot"

At that moment, auras come out from Rias and Akeno, while the girl is possessively hugging Itachi. Lord Gremory, Venelana, Enku and even the rest of the servants becomes speechless or unnerved seeing this spectacle. The victim of the three girls feels a headache in his head and slowly brings his right hand to his temple and starts massaging it while letting out a small sigh.

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**~ Present time ~ [Gremory castle]**

Itachi massages his temple as he reminisces those moments. He then looks at the girls who still bicker with each other and then look down at Koneko. He feels another wave of migraine when the girls turned back their attention to him, but fortunately for him salvation came in the form of Enku.

"Itachi-sama"

"What is it, Enku-san?"

"Sirzechs-sama asked for your presence"

Itachi only nod at this and gently moved Koneko from his lap, which caused the girl to look upset. He then stand up and pick up 'Kanesada' before tied it back to his hip. He then look at the girls and give them a slight nod. They nod back in return and Itachi quickly leave the garden.

"What is it that Sirzech-san wants from me, Enku-san?" said Itachi while preparing a magic circle.

"He only said that it has something to do with the Bael clan" Itachi nod at this and then step into the magic circle.

"I see…." and with that, he vanished into the magic circle.

**AAANNNDDDD finish chapter 4! As I said on the top, sorry for the late update! I got addicted playing Assassin's Creed 3, and it's really hard to stop. I even almost consider forgetting this story, but then for some strange reason, I felt really guilty if I didn't continue it, especially to Itachi. That's why I vow to keep writing this story until it finish. For you who asked me how it's gonna affect the DxD storyline and so on… You don't want me to ruin the surprise now, don't you? Well then folks! Till next chapter and as always….**

**PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW!**


	5. Requiem of the end

**This is it guys. The second Last chapter…. It's been a long journey. Thank you for all your supports so far…**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 5

**Requiem of the end**

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**[Bael castle]**

In the Underworld, the devil clans who are parts of the 72 pillars are given specific titles. These titles not only represent the ranks of the families, but also represent how powerful a family is. Currently Gremory clan holds the title of a 'Duke', one of the highest ranking titles in the Underworld. On the other hand, the strongest family who hold the title of 'Great King' is the Bael clan. This clan is extremely famous for its trademark power, the power of destruction. In fact, the reason why Rias and Sirzechs possess this power is because Venelana was a member of this clan. However as it is with families who are said to be the 'strongest', the Bael clan too is extremely prideful and arrogant to the point of looking down on other devils. Not to mention, they are also a traditionalist, believing that demonic powers determined everything.

Itachi couldn't help but thinking how ridiculous the attitudes of this clan is despite the fact that they lives in modern era. He couldn't help but be reminded of similar situations in the past when he encountered people who believes that talent is the only thing necessary to become a great shinobi.

As it is, the only thing that held him from commenting on this is the fact that the person standing in front of him is none other than the head of the Bael clan - Lord Bael. He does not want to incite conflicts between Gremory clan and Bael clan, because he is already considered as a part of the Gremory clan and his comment would definitely be viewed negatively.

So he only let out a small sigh while looking at both Sirzechs and Lord Bael arguments.

"That's why~. I asked you to let us handle Misla Obaa-san's treatment. Our equipment and the skills of the medical team are sufficient enough to cure her and awaken her from her coma" explained Sirzechs with a hint of desperation in his voice.

"And as I told you many times already, I refuse! To receive help from other devil, even if he is one of the Satan would tarnish the name of Bael! It's better for her to lose her life instead of sullying the name of Bael!" shouted Lord Bael with rage visible in his voice.

"But…"

"No but! This decision is final!" Lord Bael interrupted Sirzechs with another shout. Sirzechs becomes silent because of this. The other occupants in the room aside from Itachi couldn't help but snickered at the display in front of them. After all it's not every day that a Satan got silenced like this, not to mention their dislike for the current Satans. Sirzechs then tried to persuade him again, but before he could do so, he was interrupted by Itachi.

*SIGH*

Itachi let out a really audible sigh after closing his eyes, which is really unlike him. People who know him might even say that this is his way of showing disrespect towards someone. And as if that is not enough he then turned to Sirzechs and asked him….

"Sirzechs-san. May I take my leave now? I believe anymore nonsense from _Bael-sama _would prove to be unbeneficial for my developing brain…." stated Itachi. Although he asked for permission to leave but the other occupants of the room felt that it's not something that is meant to be answered, and the young man would leave regardless whether he is allowed to or not. Not to mention his obvious insult towards Lord Bael. In response to this all of the occupants of the room become outrages and starts throwing curses and insult at him, some even starts to gossip about who the young man is and what is his intention, while a few others speculates that he might belongs to the Old-Satan faction.

Itachi ignored all of that including the shock form of Sirzechs due to what he said and starts heading to the door. However, right before he could open it, his attention was caught by the booming voice of Lord Bael.

"WAIT!" and with that, all the chatters, insults and curses thrown towards the young man ceased. Itachi on the other hand only turn his neck to the left slowly and passively look at Lord Bael with his left eye.

"Is there something you want?" Itachi asked calmly. All the occupants in the room, saves for Sirzechs and Lord Bael glared at him due to his attitude.

"What do you mean by 'nonsense'?!" asked Lord Bael sternly. Itachi only look passively at this, but to the eyes of Sirzechs who saw Itachi's passive expression quite a number of times before, his expression this time is more bored than passive.

"What else do I mean?" Itachi asked back still with his passive look. Lord Bael becomes upset of the display of impudence in front of him and decides to gives the young man in front of him a warning.

"Such impudence. Do you realize who you are talking to?!" Lord Bael shouted, which makes most occupants to wince at the voice of their leader.

"I think it's obvious who I am talking to" Itachi replied without any hesitation or nervousness. This only serves to further aggravate Lord Bael, while the other occupants of the room, including Sirzechs only stared dumbfoundedly at Itachi.

"You should learn to respect your elder and your better! Know that yo…." Lord Bael's sentence was interrupted, because now Itachi looks at him with both his eyes however his eyes completely dispelled his young appearances. Many devils in the room feels unnerved seeing his eyes and some of them even have cold sweat running on their backs. Sirzechs knew very well what they went through, because he already saw this once, when Itachi first met with Souji.

"I respect you as an elder. However, as a person you have not yet shown anything that deserves my respect" explained Itachi. He then proceeds to open the door, but before he leaves, he said one final remark.

"Bael-sama. Prejudice breed hatred, and hatred breed wars. I want you to think carefully about the direction where your clan headed to. If you're not be careful or continue to stick to your traditions, then I'm afraid only tragedies await your clan" and with that he slowly closed the door leaving the entire occupants of the room speechless.

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Itachi quickly moves through the hall of the castle, passing through several servants who wondered about who he is and ignoring those who approached him. It's obvious since right now he is faced with inner turmoil, because of what he has just done.

"_That was really unbecoming of me…."_

"_To let myself be controlled by my emotions like that…."_

"_It seems I need to discipline myself all over again"_

His train of thought was brought to an end when he felt someone is watching him. He suspected that it's someone who is out for his blood, because of what he said. So he increased his pace and heads toward the training area of the castle.

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Itachi can still feel someone watching him, but fortunately this section of the castle is not only spacious, but empty at the same time. This way he could use his jutsus and magic without having to worry about involving bystanders. So he slowly stops and stands still in the middle of the yard.

"_He…stops?"_ thought the person who follows Itachi. However, suddenly he could feel something cold and sharp on his neck and slowly he looks down and sees that there's a katana on his neck.

"…Who are you?" asked Itachi coldly. The man only gulped once, and then an excited grin appeared on his face.

"So…. You're not only good at talking….but at fighting too…." said the man with a tone that says he was happy of this development. Itachi raise a brow at this, but proceed to press the katana harder.

"I will ask you again… Who are you?" asked Itachi coldly. The man didn't seem to be fazed by this and only widen his smile.

"My name? My name is….Sairaorg. Sairaorg Bael" declared the man who is now identified as Sairaorg. Itachi becomes a bit surprised at this, specifically at his name.

"Sairaorg…. Rias' cousin?" asked Itachi.

"Oooh. So you've heard of me from Rias, huh? What an honor… I've also heard about you from Rias quite a few times" Sairaorg smiles became a grin at this. Itachi slowly remove his katana from Sairaorg's neck and sheathed it. Sairaorg then turned towards Itachi and gives him a pat on the shoulders.

"That was amazing! How could you moved so fast? No, first, how did you create an illusion like that?" Sairaorg began to bombard Itachi with questions while shaking his shoulders, which caused Itachi's head to move back and forward violently. After a while, Itachi forcefully releases himself from Sairaorg's grips and look at him passively, although his hair and appearances were a total mess, thanks to Sairaorg.

Itachi let out a small sigh and then gives Sairaorg his answer.

"That doppelganger of mine…" said Itachi while pointing at his illusion in the middle of the yard. "Is a result of combining both fire magic and water magic. You could say that it's similar to a mirage that you see in a desert" Sairaorg only gives an 'Oooh' in response to this.

"I believe I have answered your question… So may I ask another question?" asked Itachi

"Go ahead" said Sairaorg nonchalantly.

"Why did you follow me?" Sairaorg blink twice at Itachi's question and then he starts laughing.

"HAHAHAHA~! As if I could help it! I'm simply too curious about you. After all, you are the first person to ever talk back to my old man like that" explained Sairaorg with a grin on his face. Itachi felt a wave of migraine creeping up to his head and starts to regret his arguments with Lord Bael.

"And now, I even found out that you seem to be an excellent fighter as well!" Sairaorg starts patting Itachi's shoulders again. Itachi only massage his temple while letting out a small sigh. Sairaorg then have a sudden idea which he thought would be very interesting.

"Hey. Itachi, care to hear about something?"

"What is it, Sairaorg-sama?" asked Itachi. However, Sairaorg look at him with a blank expression on his face, because of the way Itachi called him.

"You know… You don't have to call me 'Sairaorg-sama'. Just call me 'Sairaorg'. It feels weird to have Rias' unofficial boyfriend calling me like that" explained Sairaorg. Itachi blink twice at what Sairaorg just said, especially his last sentence. He then shakes his head slowly while thinking on how to explain this misunderstanding.

"Sairaorg-sa….no…. Sairaorg" Itachi quickly corrected himself, because Sairaorg glared at him. "I think you misunderstood something. I have no romantic relationship with Rias. It's just people simply misunderstood our relationship as that of lovers, because we're always sticks together. Instead of lovers, close friends or siblings would be the right words to describe our relationship" explained Itachi with a tone that literally said he really meant what he just said.

Sairaorg could only look at him with an incredulous face due to what he just heard, and at that time the only thing he could think of about Itachi is…..

"_Is he really that dense? Or, is he actually an idiot? No matter how I look at it, the way Rias spoke of him was like a girl who spoke about her crush…."_

His train of thought was abruptly brought to an end when Itachi asked him a question.

"Sairaorg, what is it that you wanted to say?" asked Itachi who missed another blank look by Sairaorg. Sairaorg then sigh and decides to just answer Itachi's question.

"Itachi, do you want to spar with me?" asked Sairaorg with a smile. Itachi raise a brow at what he just heard.

"Spar? Why? I believe there are other people who are more suitable as your sparring partner than me..." Sairaorg frowned at what Itachi said, but then he let out another sigh and smiles again.

"Because... You are strong" said Sairaorg with a wide grin.

"…."

"When I first saw you… I already suspected that you are skilled from the way you walk and the katana that you carry. Then, I realized that you are strong when your speed managed to outmatch my eyes. I don't mean to brag, but to my eyes, there are very few people who could escape from its sight. Not to mention, my battle instinct couldn't pick up your presence until you have your katana on my neck. And that battle instinct of mine is currently flaring up and demands that I cross fist with you" explained Sairaorg while smiling so wide that his teeth becomes visible.

"….."

"So…. What do you think, Itachi? Want to spar with me?" asked Sairaorg. Itachi closes his eyes for a moment, and then he gives Sairaorg his answer.

"No" said Itachi simply. Sairaorg becomes surprise at Itachi's reply.

"May I ask why?" questioned Sairaorg.

"…I took no enjoyment in violence and battle, no matter what the form is. If you spar with me, the only thing that would happen is that the spar will only last for a moment"

"Oooh… Are you saying that you could defeat me that quickly?" said Sairaorg who took this as a challenge from Itachi. Itachi on the other hand, only shakes his head.

"No. It's not possible to win against you in such a short time; after all you're also powerful" state Itachi. He knew this because Sairaorg body is very well-built, something that he never seen in other devils. This could only mean that the person in front of him trained so hard to push his body to its limit, which means that his overall physical strength outclassed any young devils. He has no doubt that Sairaorg endurances and stamina are also far greater than any young devils, as they usually rely on their inborn power and magic. Not to mention, his physique literally screams danger, something that greatly reminds him of Kisame and Gai.

"Then?"

"As I said, I took no enjoyment in battle. During our spar, it's either I would try to finish it as quick as possible, which is difficult to achieve, or I would step out of it the moment I feel that it's no longer reasonable, which is the most likely case. As it is, I believe the spar between us wouldn't even be enough to be a warm-up for you" explained Itachi. Sairaorg becomes thoughtful because of Itachi's reasoning to not fight him, and then he voices his own opinion.

"You know…."

"?"

"You didn't consider the possibility that the spar would end up with your lost….."

"…" Itachi didn't say anything and choose to just stare passively at Sairaorg. On the other hand Sairaorg has his grin return, because of what his silence means.

"I see…. Your silence is more than enough. As I thought you are indeed strong" and with that he locked eyes with Itachi, before laughing again.

"Hahaha~. But you know… You said that it's unreasonable for us to fight till the end. Well then… What if I give you a very good reason for us to fight till the end?" said Sairaorg. Itachi tilt his head slightly in curiosity after hearing this.

"And that reason is?"

"Do you know what the consequences for pointing a weapon at a member of the Bael clan?" Sairaorg replied simply. Itachi's eyes widen a bit at the sudden realization and then he proceeds to stare intensely at Sairaorg.

"….."

"I'll take that as a yes. Well, if you don't want this little meeting of ours to go public, then you better accept my request. What do you think? Not a bad deal right?" finished Sairaorg with a smile.

"…." Itachi only continue to stare at Sairaorg while considering the pros and cons of the deal.

"So? What's your answer?" asked Sairaorg. Itachi only let out a small sigh.

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"How should we do this?" asked Itachi.

Currently they are in the outer area of the castle which consist of an open field with nothing but grass and rocks around them and trees in the distance.

"The fight will end if one of us is unable to fight any longer" explained Sairaorg.

"To the death?" asked Itachi.

"No. It's only a spar. If you die, there are people who would be very sad" explained Sairaorg.

"The same goes for you too…." replied Itachi. All of a sudden Sairaorg expression grew bitter.

"I wonder about that…" said Sairaorg with a bitter smile. Itachi couldn't help but wonder what's wrong with him.

"….."

"Enough about that. Let's begin" said Sairaorg with a wide grin. Itachi only nod at this.

With that, both combatants stand stills on their spot. But the next moment, both of them moves at incredible speed.

Itachi skillfully dodges and parries blows from Sairaorg while delivering his own counter attacks. However, he noted that it would be extremely dangerous if he receives even one of those blows directly. He dodges again, but Sairaorg fist hit one of the giant rocks and it practically obliterates it. Itachi, sensing the danger from Sairaorg's fist, quickly steps away from him and drew out 'Kanesada'.

"Oh? You finally drew out your weapon…. That's good. It will make things more Interesting!" shouted Sairaorg before dashing at Itachi again.

Itachi imbued 'Kanesada' with fire element to enhance its slashing ability and to make it burns when it slashes. He quickly dodges another assault from Sairaorg and jump quite a distance away before taking a kenjutsu stance's from Konoha.

"_**Konoha-Ryu Mikazuki no Mai"**_

With that three more Itachi appeared and aid Itachi in slashing at Sairaorg from four different angles. Sairaorg look a bit surprised at the sudden appearances of three Itachi, but then he smiled and prepared to defend against Itachi's assault. Itachi increase his speed and the strength behind his swings, but after his attacks made contact with Sairaorg….

CLANK

Instead of the sounds of flesh being cuts or burns, it's more like he slashed a metal. Itachi's eyes widen in surprise due to the durability of Sairaorg's skin. He then noticed that it's not his skin that stopped his attacks, but before he could think about it Sairaorg blew him away with his shout, which caused his Kage Bunshins to be dispelled. Sairaorg then deliver a straight punch towards Itachi, but he managed to block it with 'Kanesada'. However the force of his punch was so great that Itachi was sent flying towards a boulder. Fortunately, he managed to flip himself on mid-air and landed his feet on the ground. He then stares passively at Sairaorg and open his mouth to speak.

"That toughness of yours…it's not entirely your skin, isn't it?" state Itachi. Sairaorg let out a wide smile at Itachi's words.

"So you noticed. That's right, it's not my skin. It's not a magic either but a 'Touki'" explained Sairaorg.

"A 'Touki'…. I thought only those who are trained in senjutsu capable of generating and manipulating 'Touki'"

"Usually that's the case, but I've trained this body to its utmost limit and by doing so I've obtained the abilities to control the base of life itself" explained Sairaorg.

Itachi noted the similarity between this 'Touki' and the 'Hachimon' in that both of them can be acquired and controlled through intense training. He mused at the fact that the effects granted also seem similar, but then a question popped up on his head.

"Why did you train yourself so hard like this? I thought members of this clan prefer to use their 'power of destruction' instead of physical force" asked Itachi. Once again, Sairaorg has a bitter smile on his face and then Itachi realizes that this is a sensitive topic for him. He is about to tell Sairaorg to forget his question, but he beats him to it.

"It's because…unlike my younger brother…I wasn't born with that power" answered Sairaorg. Itachi only look at him calmly and prompt him to continue.

"Because I did not inherit that power, my mother encouraged me to become stronger through different methods even though she was treated badly every day, because of me. And before she felt into a coma, I've promised her to be stronger than anyone! That's why I wanted to fight you. To test myself against strong devil like you and then push myself even further" explained Sairaorg with a smile. Itachi couldn't help but have a small smile on his lips after hearing this. This man in front of him is so different than his father and brother.

"Is your promise to your mother the only thing that supports your fists?" asked Itachi. Sairaorg look at him blankly for a moment, but then a full blown smile appears on his face.

"Of course not! These fists of mine shall carry me to achieve my dream!" declared Sairaorg.

"And that dream is?" inquired Itachi. Sairaorg then extend his right fist towards Itachi and shout….

"I will become a Satan!" Itachi was taken aback by Sairaorg's declaration.

"…"

"I will become a Satan! That way people would acknowledge me even if I'm not talented and then I could change the traditions of the Underworld. I would make it so that devils like me would not be looked down and gives them equal standing on the society!" declared Sairaorg with a smile.

"_I will become a Hokage!"_

Itachi couldn't help but be reminded of a certain blond shinobi after Sairaorg's declaration. Because of this, he could not suppress a small laugh from escaping his lips.

"Heh…heheheh…" Itachi laughed slowly. Sairaorg who saw this wonder what made the man in front of him to laugh, but before he could ask, Itachi beats him to it.

"Forgive me… I didn't mean to laugh at you. Your dream and the way you declared it simply reminds me of someone who shares a similar dream to you…." explained Itachi.

"Ooh~. And that person is?" inquired Sairaorg.

"Someone who I entrusted my will to" answered Itachi with a smile. Sairaorg becomes confused at this, but then just shrug his shoulders.

"_Naruto… It seems…. I have found this world's version of you…" _thought Itachi with an amused smile on his face.

"Sairaorg…. Do you know the main requirements to become a Satan?" asked Itachi.

"Main requirements? Aren't strength and charisma enough for a person to become a Satan?"

"Those were indeed important, but those alone wouldn't make you qualified to become a great Satan…" explained Itachi.

"Then what is it? Tell me" pressed Sairaorg. Itachi let out a smile at this and then he gives his reply.

"I'll tell you after we finished this fight….." With that he sheathed 'Kanesada' and performs the 'seal of confrontation' with his right hand. Sairaorg shows a fearless smile at this and shout his war cry to Itachi.

"WOOOOOOOHHHHH!" With that he charges towards Itachi with an even greater speed than before, and Itachi's eyes widen at this. The next moment, Sairaorg's hand has impaled his chest, but Sairaorg noticed that there's something weird. This is because there's no blood or even organs when he impaled him; it's as if his body is hollow. His confusion was brought to an end when suddenly Itachi's body dispersed into dozens of crows.

"What the..?!"

"You have fall under my illusion, Sairaorg…" explained Itachi simply. To Sairaorg, the sky has turned purple and there are dozens of crows flying over him. However, he only smiles and let out another war cry while flaring up his 'Touki'. With that Itachi's genjutsu was dispelled and Itachi could only look astonished at Sairaorg.

"You think a mere illusion would be enough to defeat me?" Sairaorg asked with a wide grin.

"Impressive… Truly impressive…." Itachi couldn't help complimenting Sairaorg for the feat he has accomplished.

"Why did you sheath your weapon, Itachi? Are you looking down on me?" asked Sairaorg with a challenging smile.

"It's the opposite…." Sairaorg becomes surprised, because the voice came from behind him. However before he could turn around, the one in front of him suddenly explodes. The explosion was so great that it blasted Sairaorg tens of meters away before crushing into a tree.

Slowly he stood up, but instead of a pained expression, Sairaog's face is full of excitement. He then look towards Itachi and sees that there are two large magic circles on his sides. He then realizes what Itachi's intend to do and quickly increase his 'Touki' once again. The next thing that happens is that Itachi launches wind magic and fire magic at the same time and combines them to create a flaming vortex.

In response to this Sairaorg punch the vortex at the center with his 'Touki' imbued fist and destroyed the magic. However what Sairaorg did not realize was that the magic was simply a diversion so that Itachi could flashes several hand seals without him noticing it and moved near him. After the magic was disperse, in front of Sairaorg stood Itachi. Sairaorg who is surprised at Itachi's sudden appearance, couldn't ready himself on time. The consequence is he got hit directly by Itachi's fire jutsu.

"_**Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu"**_

With that Sairaorg's body is engulfed in fire, and he tried to disperse it but found out that it's harder than usual. Meanwhile, Itachi quickly jump a distance away from Sairaorg and prepared another set of magic circles.

"Ghh… That's one powerful fire magic you've used there" said Sairaorg after he managed to put the flame away. He then noticed the several magic circles in front of Itachi and then he starts to create feints to confused Itachi. However, unfortunately for Sairaorg, he didn't realize that Itachi's eyes already shifted to his sharingan, and the purpose of these magic circles is not for offense. The next thing that happens is the magic circles let out massive streams of water which flooded the field.

Sairaorg becomes confused at Itachi's intention, but this turned out to be a fatal mistake, because his confusion gave Itachi the time to flashes the hand seals quickly.

"_**Suiton: Suiryudan no jutsu"**_

And with that, a dragon made of water appeared and struck the shocked form of Sairaorg. Sairaorg struggles to hold the dragon from consuming him, but it turns out to be a futile effort. After the attack ended, Itachi saw that Sairaorg does not seem to be moving and slowly went to his side. He noted that Sairaorg seems to lose his consciousness, but suddenly his eyes snapped open and quickly stand up and knee Itachi on the abdomen.

BAM!

"!" Itachi could feel the air on his lungs got cut, and then the next moment he was sent flying several meters away. He's lucky that his body is enhanced because of his training, if not then there's no doubt that last attack would severely injured him.

"It's my turn" said Sairaorg with a grin. Slowly, Itachi stood up just in time to avoid a punch by Sairaorg. He countered with a kick, but noticed how his kick only does a little damage on him. So the only thing he could do is keep avoiding Sairaorg assault, while flashing another hand seals with his right hand.

"_**Suiton: Suigadan"**_

Water drills appeared from the puddles around them and Sairaorg ceased his assaults in order to defend against the attack. This gives Itachi the opportunity to recover and focus his chakra to his right hand. Sairaorg noticed this and then becomes surprised at what he saw.

"That's….a senjutsu!" right after he said that, Sairaorg prepared to punch Itachi while at the same time Itachi also made a move to punch him. Both combatants hit each other at the same time, but a moment later Sairaorg slumped down to the ground due to the accumulated injuries from Itachi's attacks. Itachi only look passively at Sairaorg and then turns around to start walking away. But, before he could walk away, his left leg was grabbed by Sairaorg. Slowly, Itachi looks down and see that although Sairaorg looks battered and exhausted, the fire on his eyes is still burning strongly. He couldn't help but be impressed at Sairaorg's willpower.

"This is not…finished…yet" said Sairaorg with a pained yet determined expression.

"No…it's finish. You couldn't fight any longer with your injuries" Itachi replied calmly.

"Heh… But I haven't even got you to fight me with all you've got… You've even only showed those strange eyes once" said Sairaorg. Itachi becomes surprised at what Sairaorg just said.

"_He… noticed my sharingan?" _thought Itachi. He then let out a smile and prepared to gives Sairaorg the answers to his question.

"Sairaorg…."

"Huh?"

"The other two requirements in order for you to become a great Satan are…" said Itachi slowly

"Comrades…who will supports you and your dreams….."

"…"

"The other is something that you already possessed" With that Itachi began to walk away, but Sairaorg's shouts grabs his attention.

"Itachi! What is the last requirement?" questioned Sairaorg with a loud voice while shakily standing up. Itachi look at him briefly but then he smiles.

"It"s…."

"It's…?"

"The guts to never give up…." finished Itachi as he is reminded of Naruto once again.

"The guts to…never give up…" repeated Sairaorg. Itachi nod at this and then he resumes his walking. Sairaorg then shout at Itachi once again.

"Itachi! I'm going to become even stronger! I'm going to defeat my younger brother, and become the heir of the Bael clan! After that I'm going to gather people like me for my peerage and turned them into the strongest peerage ever! I will not lose to anyone anymore until I become a Satan! That's why! Don't you dare lose to anyone until I defeat you!" shouted Sairaorg with a full-blown smile. In response to this, Itachi only let out a small smile and then he says one word.

"Understood…."

With that Itachi walks away, leaving the content form of Sairaorg alone. After he reaches the hall however, Itachi's attention shift to the person who spied on his fight and then he quickly moves to ambush him.

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"I need to report this to Bael-sama" said the spy with a hint of urgency. However he couldn't reach the main building of the castle, because suddenly Itachi blocks his path.

"!" the spy abruptly stops and then became surprised, because the eyes of the man in front of him suddenly turned from black to red with three little tomoes. The spy slowly lost his consciousness and the last thing he heard was Itachi's voices.

"I will have you forget what you've saw and you will tell Bael-sama that you only saw me chatting casually with Sairaorg" said Itachi who then proceeds to erase the spy's memories about his fight with Sairaorg and planted false memories on the spy.

He then proceeds to use a magic circle to teleport himself back to Sirzechs' place to question a certain Satan regarding something.

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**[Sirzechs castle] **

After Itachi arrived in Sirzechs place, the first thing that happened was he got chewed by Grayfia, because of his messy appearances. He told her that he encountered a raging lion that won't stop chasing him when she asked for the reason of his messy appearances. He told her that had no choice but to engaged the lion and subdue it. Grayfia look skeptical, but decides not to dwell in it, since Itachi himself doesn't seems to want to elaborate further on this matter. Itachi then proceeds to enter the living room in order to wait for Sirzechs' return and ask him about a certain matter, but the moment he enter the room….

"Ahahahaha~"

"Ah! Otou-sama!

He is presented with a view of Sirzechs and Millicas playing a racing game on a very huge monitor.

"….."

"Otou-sama! Please stop hitting the NPC's cars. You'll make a mess on the road" scold Millicas.

"Ahahaha~. It does not matter what method I used as long as I win" declared Sirzechs.

"If that's the case, then I have no choice but to do this!" declared Millicas.

"Mu! That move! The high skill steering technique that only a few could master! Drifting!" declared Sirzechs with a shock expression.

"Yes. I have managed to master this technique after looking at it a few times" explained Millicas who began to drift his car out of the obstacles ways.

"Ah! Impossible! For it to be executed so flawlessly... eh? Wait! Hold on a moment!" said Sirzechs while panicking.

"I won't wait. With this…it's my victory!" declared Millicas with a smile. The monitor has a huge "YOU WIN" words on it. Sirzechs slumped down to the floor and starts to whine, which makes Millicas to go to his side and starts comforting him.

The spectator of the 'duel' between father and son only sweat dropped at the display in front of him. He starts to wonder which one exactly is the father and which one exactly is the son. He also starts to think that the Satans have too much free time for them to be able to play around like this. Millicas noticed the arrival of Itachi and then quickly went to his side, and completely forget about Sirzechs, which of course made Sirzechs depressed.

"Itachi-niisama! When did you arrive?" asked Millicas with excitement on his voice. Itachi only put his left hand on the young Gremory's head and gives him a reply.

"Just now. I need to ask Sirzechs-san about something" said Itachi while ruffling Millicas' hair. Millicas look happy when Itachi did this, which made Sirzechs who saw this scene, to sink even further in his depression.

Itachi then turns his attention to Sirzechs and ask him something that has been bugging him since he saw Sirzechs played with Millicas.

"Sirzechs-san. When did you return?" asked Itachi. Sirzechs who was depressed because of being left out suddenly has a cheery expression on his face which caused Itachi to sweat dropped again.

"Ah~. Itachi-kun. I came back soon after you went out of the room~" Itachi raise a brow at Sirzechs' answer and decides to ask another question.

"Why? I thought you need to discuss something with Bael-sama?" asked Itachi.

"Well~, it's pointless if you're not there~" explained Sirzechs jovially. Itachi tilt his head slightly at what Sirzechs just said.

"What do you mean?" inquired Itachi. Sirzechs suddenly has a very wide smile.

"It's the same reason as to why you're here. You want to know why I brought you there, don't you?" asked Sirzechs.

"….." Itachi only nod at this.

"Well~. Let's just say…that I need your bluntness regarding certain subjects~" explained Sirzech with a happy tone. Itachi raise a brow at the way the Satan's talked.

"Regarding what subjects?" asked Itachi confused. He really doesn't know what subject that Sirzechs wanted him to be blunt. Sirzechs only widen his smile and replies….

"Family and society…"

"…."

"I've heard from Rias how you bluntly scolded her queen when you first met her and how you've managed to make the little girl opened up to you"

"…."

"So I decided to make a bet with taking you to the Bael clan, to see whether you would scold them or anything like that"

"….."

"Well~. That said…you really surpassed my expectations, to silence Bael Ojii-san like that. His pride and stubbornness can indeed become really annoying sometimes" finished Sirzechs with a smile.

Itachi let out a sigh at Sirzechs' reasoning to bring him to meet the Bael clan, and then he decides to voices out his thought, but Sirzechs beats him to it.

"So? How was your spar with Sairaorg?" asked Sirzechs with a knowing smile. Itachi becomes a bit surprised, but then he closes his eyes and let out a thin smile.

"I'll take that smile of yours as a confirmation that it went well" said Sirzechs. Itachi only nod at this.

"But really, you shouldn't hide your injuries like that, you know?" Itachi eyes widen at what Sirzechs just said. He then look at Sirzechs face and see that he still has that knowing smile plastered on his lips.

"You think I won't realize? How could I not realize, when my younger brother has his right hand bones broken and his abdomen greatly injured like that" explained Sirzechs. Itachi only let out a sigh and slowly shakes his head.

"Itachi-niisama, are you injured?" asked Millicas with a face full of concern.

"It's nothing you need to worry about…." explained Itachi.

"Well~. At least get it healed properly, or else Rias would not stop worrying if she ever finds out" said Sirzechs. Itachi nod at this and then he proceeds to ask Sirzechs a favor.

"Sirzechs-san…"

"Mu! Why so serious! Injured person should be more relax!" declared Sirzechs loudly. Itachi sweat dropped at this and felt a sudden headache. So he massages his temple with his left hand and sighed again.

"Sirzechs-san… May I ask for a two or three free days from the trainings each week? I promise I would attend the rest of the training sessions in each week" requested Itachi to Sirzechs

"Why?" Sirzechs asked with a very confused expression.

"I need time to do some special training. I realized that…" before he could finish his sentence Sirzechs interrupted him.

"No, I mean, why would you continue your training? I arranged so that it would end after Ajuka gave you that ring" explained Sirzechs. Itachi becomes confused at this, but then he has a sudden realization which is shared by Sirzechs.

"They tricked you…didn't they?" asked Sirzechs slowly. Itachi look thoughtful for a moment and then gives him a nod.

Both of them realized that this past year, Itachi has been tricked to continue his training by none other than Souji, MacGregor and Beowulf. Sirzechs couldn't help but laugh at this, because he never expected someone like Itachi to become a victim of a trick like that. Millicas become confused, because his father suddenly laughs like that and proceeds to turn his head right and left to look at Itachi and his father.

On the other hand, said victim only bring his left hand to his face, and let out an audible sigh while covering his face.

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**[Gremory castle] **

"Ah! Itachi. Welcome back!" said Rias with a radiant smile.

"…." Itachi only look passively at her.

"How's your meeting with the Bael clan? Did you get to meet with Sairaorg?" asked Rias.

"…" Itachi only continue to look at her passively, but then he sigh.

"Rias"

"Hm?"

POKE

"Ah! What did I do this time?" whined Rias who has been poked by Itachi using his left hand.

"Nothing…. I just feel like I need to do this" replied Itachi with a tired look. Rias pouted at this, but before she could complaint, Itachi interrupted her.

"Rias… from now on… I need to do a special training every day. So if you need me, you need to tell me beforehand, since probably I won't return home sometimes" declared Itachi. Rias became shock at what she just heard, and then she demands an explanation from Itachi.

"But don't you have your trainings? It's…." she couldn't finish her sentence, because Itachi's voice cut hers.

"The trainings already finish. That's why now I have all the time I need to do my own brand of training" explained Itachi.

"…Then ...why don't you use that time to be with me?" muttered Rias with a sad expression. Itachi who heard this only let out another sigh.

POKE

"Ah! Mou~. Can't you tell when someone is sad?" scolded Rias. Itachi only look at her passively and then proceed to open his mouth.

"Rias…remember what I said? If you need me, tell me. My training does not mean that I would neglect you" explained Itachi. Rias blushed at what Itachi said.

"Wh-wha, that's, yo-you're…"stuttered Rias who starts to speculate about the meaning of Itachi's words. However, she was brought down to Earth by his next sentences.

"The same goes for Akeno and Koneko. And perhaps Sona, too. We are friends after all" state Itachi in a matter of factly voice. Rias' visage become demonic and her bangs cover her eyes. However, Itachi can clearly see the red aura envelops her and this makes him confused. He doesn't know what he did that makes her angry (although it's very obvious) and intend to ask her. But before he could ask her the question, she speaks first.

"I see….." said Rias with a very low volume.

"….." Itachi doesn't know why, but right now he has a feeling of impending doom.

"That's right~. We are FRIENDS…" said Rias with a sweet tone. However, Itachi could feel a sense of dread coming out from that sentence, and it's anything but sweet. He is about to open his mouth to speaks, but Rias beats him to it again.

"By the way, Itachi?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you need to do your own special training in the first place?" asked Rias with a tone that literally said that he must give her _the answer_ or he would suffer tremendous amount of pain.

"…"

"Well~?" _asked_ (demand) Rias with a very _cute_ (dangerous) smile.

Itachi sighed and prepare to give her the answer.

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**(Flash back) [Sirzechs castle]**

"Itachi-kun. Why do you want to do a special training?" asked Sirzechs with a voice full of curiosity. Itachi look at him for a moment and then he closes his eyes and gives the man the answer.

"So that this won't happen again…" answered Itachi while gesturing to his injured right hand.

"When I punched Sairaorg, even though I enhanced my fist, it still ended up broken. That's why I need something that can cover the difference between our physical strength" explained Itachi.

"Well~, you shouldn't put Sairaorg in the category of 'your normal foes'. And I believe that Sairaorg is the only devils that could cause harm simply for being punched." explained Sirzechs with a jovial tone.

"It doesn't matter. The fact is there are a lot of beings who are stronger than him in other aspect and it would not do if I got defeated, because I didn't prepare properly. Besides, he expects me not to lose to anyone other than him, and I don't want to let him down either" explained Itachi with a smile.

…

…..

….

"Okay. I understand. It's futile to change your mind anyway, with your eyes looking determined like that" said Sirzechs with a smile. Itachi only gives a nod to Sirzechs.

"But you really should tell Rias if you going to spend your time training. She might get upset if she doesn't get informed about this" advised Sirzechs.

"Don't worry I will explain it properly to her. She would understand…" assured Itachi. He then looks at Sirzechs and for some reason he could see a bit of doubt on his eyes, but he ignored it in favor of saying his next favor.

"Sirzechs-san…do you know any places that no devils would visited?" asked Itachi. Sirzechs look thoughtful for a moment, but then he remembered about one place.

"Well~. There is one place, but…" Sirzechs couldn't help but trailed off when he remembered about that place. However, Itachi does not care what kind of place it is, as long as it can hide him when he is training.

"Please tell me…." pressed Itachi, Sirzechs sigh at his stubbornness and start explaining what kind of place is that. Itachi only nod and give a grateful gesture for the information, but before he could use his magic circle to return to Gremory castle, Sirzechs questioned him.

"Itachi-kun… What kind of technique are you going to practice?" asked Sirzechs curiously. In response, Itachi only let out a small smile and give him a puzzling answer.

"A technique that was passed down to the most unpredictable hero by his teacher and was invented by his father" answered Itachi which caused Sirzechs to look puzzled.

**(End Flash back)**

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"And that's the story…" explained Itachi. Rias look thoughtful for a moment, but then she look upset at him.

"So basically, because you broke your hand in your fight with Sairaorg, you want to develop a special move to prevent that from ever happening again" repeated Rias. Itachi only nod and then see that Rias is now trembling.

"Rias?"

"Itachi…"

"Hm?"

"You idiot!" yelled Rias with tears on her eyes. Itachi was slightly taken aback at her sudden outburst.

"…"

"You reckless idiot! What if you accidentally got killed?!" yelled Rias who is now pounding on Itachi's chest.

"….."

"Do you know how powerful Sairaorg is?! If you were any less powerful, then without a doubt you would already be dead!" yelled Rias whiles still pounding on his chest. Itachi let out a small sigh at this.

"But I survived…"

"Yes. I'm glad that you survived. I would have a long talk with Sairaorg after this" said Rias who is now crying on Itachi's chest.

"That would not be necessary. It is my own fault for accepting it in the first place" said Itachi. The story that he gave to Rias about his fight with Sairaorg was an edited version. He didn't tell her how the fight actually came to be and of course he didn't tell her that he did not only survived his battle, but also won against Sairaorg. He instead opted to just let Rias assumed that he lost against Sairaorg, because he really doesn't want to cause a ruckus from his victory against Sairaorg.

"But!" Rias couldn't say her next sentence, because she was silenced by Itachi's stare. She then look down and Itachi let out a small sigh at this, before putting his left hand on her head.

"Rias… You're worrying about me too much. I'm more than capable of handling myself" explained Itachi with a gentle gaze while slowly ruffling her hair. Rias then hugged him with a blush on her face and whispered something.

"That's because, I don't want to see you bloodied and dying ever again…." whispered Rias, but Itachi heard her due to their close proximity. Itachi let out a sigh and then smiles.

"Then I promise this to you. I wouldn't let anyone or any being out there killed me, okay?" asked Itachi with a warm smile.

"You promised?"

"I promised"

With that Rias hugs him again, and Itachi is content with letting Rias crying on his chest. If he could see her face, he definitely would be surprise, because she is smiling right now instead of crying. He then ruffle her hair once again which made Rias to be delighted, but then turn his head to the side and shift his attention to the two visitors.

What he saw are the smiling form of Akeno and Koneko who is pouting. However, both of them literally gave out an aura that screams danger, and this caused Itachi to sweat dropped, while Rias is being oblivious to the incoming danger, because she is too immersed in hugging Itachi.

"_Now then…._

"_How should I deal with this…?" _thought Itachi who feels another wave of migraine creeping up to his head.

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**~ 1 year later ~**

In one of the section of the Underworld exists a certain place which can be said to be a safe haven for dragons. The reason is simply because there are only dragons inhibit this place – this canyon, to the point that this place is nicknamed 'Dragon Canyon'. Many varieties of dragon tribes exist in this canyon, from fire dragon, blizzard dragon to sprite dragon. The only common things shared between these dragons are that they are led by a former dragon king who became an ultimate-class devil, Tannin. The other common thing is….that the dragons are using giant touchscreen monitors. Some of them are listening to music that they download using their modern devices. Some of them are playing games like Tetris or Angry Bird and some of them used those devices to check the Underworld's share market condition.

…..These scenes completely destroy the images of dragons…..

…In fact….. Many epic dragon lovers (especially the maniacs) are going to cry tears of blood or kill themselves if they ever seen these….

However among those oddities of dragons, one particular person stands out. This is because this person is not a dragon, but rather a human. He is currently standing in a destroyed landscape, although the way the landscape is destroyed is very unnatural. The reason is because there are so many holes on the ground, on the trees, and even on the rocks. But what makes it weirder is that all the holes have a spiral pattern on them. It's like they were made as a results of something that grinds with such a great force. The size of the holes also varied. There are holes that as big as an adult's palm, but there are also holes that are twice that size.

Currently the person, or rather the man is currently standing over a destroyed boulder. He clenched his right fist which is currently bandaged while letting out a satisfied smile.

"I've completed it" And with that the man falls down to his knee due to the fatigue from this training. He then noticed a shadow loom over him and looked up to see a 15 meters tall purple western dragon.

"**Hoo~. So you've managed to complete it, Uchiha Itachi**" said the dragon with a big grin.

"Tannin-ojiisan"

"**For you to managed to complete that kind of technique in just one year, you sure are amazing. It seems my eyes really didn't fool me**" said the dragon that is now identified as Tannin. Itachi only look back at the destroyed boulder tiredly.

That's right. It has been a year since Itachi began his special training. When he first came to this canyon, he was immediately attacked by Tannin who mistakes him for Great Red due to the reason that his magical energy feels the same as Great Red's. It took a bit of a fight to convince Tannin that he is not Great Red and only after he gave tannin an injury on the chest area that Tannin is convinced that he is not Great Red. Reason being that Great Red never took notice of him, much less fought back. He then noticed that Itachi looks like a human and apologized to him, since he should know better that Great Red does not look like a human or humanoid for that matter. Itachi also apologized, but instead of angry or the likes, Tannin looks happy and declared the injury as a sign of honor that he received from another warrior.

Itachi then explains the reason for him to came here and that it was Sirzechs who told him about this place. Tannin voiced his surprise that he knows the current Lucifer personally, and ask for details. Itachi who didn't have any choice but to tell the dragon his story, began to tell how he is currently living with the Gremory clan. He then proceeds to explain that he doesn't want any devils from any of the pillars to witness his training, which is why he was here. Unfortunately for Itachi, Tannin took this as Itachi wanted to train under him. It took him another long effort of convincing to convince Tannin that he does not want to trouble Tannin for training him. Although, Tannin said that he will be delighted to train someone like him. He then gave Itachi a tour around the canyon and declared him as a guest that should be respected to all the dragons there. The dragons happily do so, but Itachi could only look at them with blank face, because they all have a touch screens in front of them. Tannin then shows Itachi the suitable place for training and after checking that it is indeed suitable, Itachi thanked the dragon and began his training until today.

"**Here, Uchiha Itachi"** said Tannin who throw a bottle of water at Itachi. Itachi gratefully receives it and starts drinking the water.

"**Still….the last time I was here, there still at least some rocks and trees that I recognized. But you know…rather than destroying it, it's more like you reshaped the landscape. HAHAHA~!"** Tannin starts to laugh loudly which caused Itachi to have a headache, because of the sheer volume of the dragon's laugh.

"Tannin-ojiisan, please lower your voice. My ears couldn't bear to hear such a loud voice…." pleaded Itachi.

"**What's this? Uchiha Itachi! Don't be such a pathetic devil who couldn't even withstand a loud voice!"** boomed Tannin. Itachi on the other hand, starts massaging his temple, because of the headache caused by the dragon.

"_But I'm a human…" _thought Itachi. Well, it's his own fault anyway for keeping his identity as a human a secret from Tannin.

That said, he is grateful to Sirzechs since the reason why he keep Itachi's identity as a human a secret is so that he won't suffer prejudices from certain families and those who are followers of the old tradition.

"Tannin-ojiisan, any devils would close their ears as soon as you start shouting like that…." explained Itachi with a slight tease in his voice. Tannin only fumed and starts shouting things like 'It's because many devils these days are pathetic' and 'it's not my fault that I possess such a massive lung and mouth' which caused Itachi to chuckle a bit.

"Well then Tannin-ojiisan…. I take my leave for today" said Itachi with a slight smile on his lips. Tannin shifted his attention to Itachi and opens his mouth to speak.

"**Are you going home, Uchiha Itachi?"** questioned Tannin. It's to be expected for him to ask this, after all, sometimes Itachi rest for a night or two at the town thirty kilometers from here instead of going home. Although for what reason, Tannin doesn't know, since he doesn't want to tell him.

"Yes…but first I need to go to the town to pick up something" answered Itachi.

"**I see… Fine then! Until tomorrow! Uchiha Itachi!"** And with that Itachi and Tannin bid farewell to each other. Itachi prepares a magic circle and the next moment he vanished from Tannin's sight. Tannin on the other hand only let out a smile, while seeing the figure of his fellow warrior disappeared into the magic circles.

Unknown to both of them however, they would not see each other again for years, because of what is going to transpire today.

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**[Underworld – Town]**

Currently Itachi is inside one of the shady dealer shops. On the front, this shop sells general goods such as clothes and so on. However in actuality, this shop also deals with the selling of weapons and so on. And usually, with the right price they would even make weapons of your choice. Right now, Itachi is examining several weapons that he ordered from the shop and of course he didn't pay as much as he should be, since he put the store owner under the effect of genjutsu for the past six months. The orders are for the store owner to give him cheaper price and to put more effort in doing a more honest business instead of the shady one like this.

The weapons that he is examining right now are: two sets of large shuriken, ten packs of kunai with five kunai in each pack, ten packs of ordinary shuriken with ten shuriken in each pack, two small swords, two sets of ten meters wire and a retractable spear. The reason why he ordered so many weapons like this is because of the activity of a certain brigade over the past year, and based on the information that he has gathered, they're going to make a move soon, perhaps in another year or two. He wanted to be ready if – when, he faced them (he got a feeling that he's going to face them one day). He does not want to be caught unprepared, so he makes all the necessary preparations for all kind of situations.

After checking that the qualities of the weapons are indeed as he ordered them to be, Itachi pull out a scroll. He then proceeds to store all the weapons inside the scroll. After he finished, he then look at the shocked shop owner who saw all the weapons disappeared into a paper. Itachi activated his sharingan and look at the shop owner's eyes.

"You will forget what you saw just now" And with that he put the owner under a genjutsu.

"Aaaah~. Thank you for your business as usual" said the shop owners who didn't realize that he is under a genjutsu. Itachi nod at this.

"The qualities are good. Thank you for making it as I requested" said Itachi.

"No problem at all. If it's for the sake of our regular, then we will do our best to fulfill it" said the shop owner who then starts rubbing his hand. Itachi understand what that gesture means and then gives the man his money.

"Ah~ Thank you" With that the shop owner began counting the money and happy that Itachi seems to give some extra to him.

Itachi then proceeds to moves towards the door, but before he went out, he activated his sharingan again and put another genjustsu upon the man.

"As usual, spend more time doing honest business than shady ones" And with that he left the shop.

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"_Now then….what should I do next? Should I head back to the castle…or should I spend some time here first?"_ thought Itachi. He likes to spend time wondering in this town, because it is so peaceful in here. Many of the residents are even kind enough to show him around when he first arrived here.

Right now, he is currently walking around the entertainment district, where most shops sell accessories and toys for boys and girls. He casually walks around, but then his attention shifted to a shop which has an action figure displayed in front of it.

He smiles a bit when he sees the action figure. It's the action figure of 'Sailor Luna-chan'. He couldn't help, but thinking that Sirzechs was the one who is responsible for this action figure to end up in one of the store in the Underworld. As he look at the action figure, he couldn't help but be reminded of his first meeting with Rias. He then reminisces about all the encounters that he had. His encounters with Sirzechs, Grayfia, Millicas, Lord Gremory, Venelana, Serafall, Ajuka, Sona, Akeno, Koneko, Sairaorg, Tannin, he even remembered the time he met with Azazel and Great Red.

For some reason, he feels really grateful for being able to meet with all these people and beings despite the daily madness that he needs to endured because of some of them. He then has a small smile on his lips and starts to think that maybe this is what his daily life would like if the Shinobi world is as peaceful as the Underworld.

His musing was abruptly brought to an end when he feels a very thick and intense bloodlust on the air. It's so thick that one would starts to think that the air itself is the one that generates this bloodlust.

Itachi then noticed something. All the bloodlust is directed towards the place where he stands, or more accurately it is directed towards him.

He quickly searches around, but couldn't found who or what generates this bloodlust. So the only thing he could do is to lure it to the area where everyone and everything would be visible. He starts heading to the fountains and quickly jump to the top of it. With that he silently stares at the passerby, but then his sights falls upon a man.

The man has a short blonde hair with a white skin. He looks to be in his thirties and also possessed a well-built body. However the most noticeable features of the man are the crazed look on his face, his visible bloodlust and the red gauntlet on his left hand.

Itachi recognizes that gauntlet. He has no doubt about it after all the education that he received regarding Sacred Gears.

The man slowly looks towards Itachi and has a very happy expression on his face (if his impossibly wide smile could be described as happy) when he sees Itachi. Itachi on the other hand, intensified his stare and starts to focus on every movement, expression and even the slightest gesture of the man.

"Who are you?" asked Itachi. The man didn't answer, but instead continue to look at Itachi with that happy expression, as if he is the man's salvation.

Slowly, Itachi activate his sharingan and sees that there are a massive amount of power inside the man, originating from the gauntlet on his left hand. The man's on the other hand, let out tears from his eyes when he sees Itachi's eyes and look as if he indeed has found his savior.

"I shall ask you again. Who are you and what do you want with me?" asked Itachi with a louder voice. All the passerby stops and start whispering about Itachi, but Itachi ignored all of it in favor of hearing the man's answer.

Itachi's going to ask again, but then the man open his mouth and starts to chant something.

**I, who is about to awaken,**

**Am the Heavenly Dragon who has stolen the principles of domination from God**

**I laugh at the "infinite", and I grieve at the "dream"**

**I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination**

**And I shall sink you to the depths of the crimson purgatory!**

Itachi's eyes widen at what the man just said.

"Is he…serious?" muttered Itachi with a complete disbelief.

"He's activating that? Here?"

With that the man is envelops by a red lights and let out a massive amount of energy which caused destruction to the town. Itachi is now shouting to the passerby and the civilians to run away and evacuates as quickly as possible. He then turns his attention back to the man and when the light subsides, he sees that the man is now covered by red dragon armor.

Itachi knows what that gauntlet was.

It was one of the thirteen Longinus.

To be specific, it was the Boosted Gear.

And right now the man is in its Balance Breaker form, the Scale Mail.

No, since he said those chant, it means that right now he is in his Juggernaut Drive's state.

Itachi knows how dangerous a Juggernaut Drive is, for it grants the wielder the power to kill Gods. So he quickly shifts his sharingan to his Mangekyo sharingan.

The 'man' saw this and let out a crazed laughter, although for some reason it's also sounds like a cry of a broken man to Itachi.

All of a sudden the 'man' let out a roar and charges towards Itachi.

Itachi brace for the worst and would use everything in his arsenal to stop this 'man', or if it's not possible then at least to stay alive. With that mindset, he also dash towards the 'man'.

With that, the battle between Itachi and the berserk 'Sekiryuutei' commence.

**Aaaaaaaannnddd finish chapter 5! As I said in the top this is the second Last chapter… of the PROLOGUE arc. There's no way I'm going to end it so quickly. For you guys who are Issei's fans and demand where Issei is… Rejoice! He will finally appear next chapter! Also, next chapter the story will start to move towards the beginning of the DxD storyline. So rejoice! As usual, please rates and reviews, guys. And here's a little preview for next chapter.**

**Preview**

Itachi faces against the berserk 'Sekiryuutei', however there are more to this attack then meets the eye. Also, what is the relationship between Itachi's fight against this berserker with Issei possessing the Boosted Gear? And what will Itachi's fate be? To find out, read the next chapter!

**I challenge you guys to try and guess!**


	6. The End of the Beginning

**Hey Guys! Thanks for the reviews, and yes, sorry for the grammar mistakes in previous chapter. I forgot to check it again before I posted it. I'll try fixing it ASAP. In the meantime, here's the new chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/creature/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 6

**The End of the Beginning **

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Itachi braced against the assaults of the Sekiryuutei in front of him. He concentrates chakra into his feet to increase his speed while at the same time drawing 'Kanesada' from its sheath. Quickly, he imbued 'Kanesada' with magic, however this time he doesn't imbued it with fire element, since he knows that fire is useless against the man in front of him. So he opted to imbued 'Kanesada' with wind element, and the resulting effect is that 'Kanesada' starts to vibrate softly. This provides an extreme cutting ability to 'Kanesada' and the moment Itachi's katana and the Sekiryuutei's blade crosses…..

SLIIIIIINNNGGG

Itachi managed to cut off the dragon blade from the man's right hand. He quickly proceeds with kicking the man on the head with his left foot, and then jumps backward by using the man's body and momentum as a propeller. He landed twenty meters away from the man and look for any sign of harm on 'Kanesada'. When he didn't see any, he focused his Mangekyo sharingan back to the man and see that he still has his head bent to the side. The man then lazily rotates his neck and then looks at Itachi as if to say 'that's all?'.

"_No effect…huh" _thought Itachi. He already suspected that the armor is very resistant to dull force, and that attack just now confirms his suspicion. However he also noted that the man's blades, and possibly his armor too, can be damaged with something that is extremely sharp. He slowly pulled out his scroll while still focusing on the man's gestures. But then something happened that makes Itachi's eyes widen.

**BOOST**

It's a sound that came out from the man's armor. This means that his current strength has been multiplied and Itachi knows how dangerous this is. So he quickly spread out the scroll and summons a large shuriken. The man saw this and grew back the blade on his right hand.

"**GROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARR~!"**

The man let out a roar and continues his assault towards Itachi. Itachi quickly dodged the man's assaults, but noted that his speed has increased. So he creates a small magic circle on his palm, while avoiding the blades, and then let out a blast of lightning that enough to staggered him. Itachi imbued his shuriken with wind element, intending to sever the blades on both man's hands. However, unlike the last time, this time he managed to cut through the blades, but he couldn't completely sever them.

Itachi's eyes widen in surprise at this, and the man took this chance to fire energy blast from his mouth which incinerates Itachi and also destroyed a portion of the town behind him. That was what should have happened, but the Itachi in front of the man is still existed despite the fact that he should've died without a single thing remains. The man tilts his head in confusion, but then an attack suddenly came from behind him.

"_**Suiton: Suikodan no jutsu"**_

With that, a shark made of water slammed into the man and pushed him inside one of the store. Itachi is standing passively on top of the fountain with his Mangekyo sharingan activated and look at the direction where the man was pushed to.

"_I see… So the boost not only increases his energy, but also his physical strength and the durability of that armor and those blades" _thought Itachi. Suddenly, the store explodes, and from within its rubbles comes out the Sekiryuutei. He looks amused – no, relieved is more accurate in Itachi's opinion, as if he just met the man's expectations.

**BOOST**

"_This is bad… If his power keeps multiplying, then physical attack will become useless. I need to finish this quickly before that happens" _thought Itachi who prepared three shurikens in one hand while activating several magic circles in front of him.

The man charges towards him again with an even greater speed and extends his clawed hand in front of Itachi. Itachi barely managed to dodge it and distance himself from the man. The man's attack caused the buildings behind Itachi to be sliced into four and some of it falls towards Itachi, but this provides a cover that he needed. Itachi quickly flashes several hand seals and throw the shurikens towards the man.

"_**Katon: Hosenka Tsumabeni"**_

Three flaming shuriken heading towards the man, but the man only swatted it away, as if it's a simple annoyance. That's all the disruption that Itachi needed though. He used the moment when the man swatted his shuriken away to combined lightning magic with wind magic and unleashed a lightning vortex towards the man. The man raise one hand and then he simply crush the magic as if it's worthless to him. However, this was also a disruption, so that the man couldn't see what Itachi truly intended to do. With blood coming out from his right eyes, Itachi then unleashes the jutsu on his right eye upon the man with the intention to end this battle.

"_**Amaterasu"**_

Black flame erupted from the man's left shoulder, and the man let out a shrieked of pain for something actually managed to burn through his armor. The flame spread to all parts of the man's body, and Itachi look at the man with a slight fatigue, due to the amount of chakra needed to cast the technique. However, he noted that it's nowhere as exhausting as it used to be, and he gives the credit to his trainers, especially Beowulf, who put him in those insane trainings. His musing was brought to an end when the man let out a pained roar and then it happens.

**BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST**

Itachi's eyes widen in surprise, because of the number of boosts that the man initiated just now. Slowly, the man stands up, and the armor seemingly fixed itself. Itachi noted that the armor has become ridiculously durable from the fact that Amaterasu doesn't seem to injure the man any longer or causing any visible effect upon the armor. Suddenly, dragon hands grew from the jewels on the man's body and it grabs the flame of Amaterasu and literally extinguishes it, by crushing it within its palms.

Itachi became shock at seeing this unbelievable display in front of him, because he never thought that Amaterasu could be extinguished with pure physical strength, however the man in front of him has shown that he is indeed capable of doing that. The man looks at Itachi for a moment before letting out another crazed laughter, which brought Itachi out of his shock. Itachi then look at the man intensely while formulating different plans and moves that he needs to make.

"_It seems…I have to try using that…"_ thought Itachi as he avoided the man's punch. One of the dragon hands then extend and managed to grab Itachi. However, before it could crush him, Itachi let out a small smile and then he suddenly explodes. The explosion managed to throw the hand backward and staggered the man. Itachi took this chance to move right in front of the man and tried using Tsukuyomi on him. However, as if he sensed what Itachi intended to do, the man suddenly disappeared.

"!" Itachi quickly look around to find the man, however he couldn't see his whereabouts. Itachi instinct suddenly screamed at him to dodge, and Itachi then realized where the man is. He quickly dodged to the side on time to avoid the man's attack from above. However the strength of the attack combined with the force of gravity, made the man's attack very devastating.

BOOM

That was the sound of the man's punch hitting the ground which caused the ground beneath Itachi to erupt and devastated the surrounding area. Debris and rocks fly on all directions, and Itachi has no choice but to shield his eyes from the dust caused by the impact. The man took this chance to extend his dragon hands and try to capture Itachi once again. However, Itachi dispersed into dozens of crows and reappeared on top of one of the destroyed building.

"_That speed… It will be difficult to focus my Mangekyo unto his eyes if he moves with that kind of speed. Unless I can make some traps to stop him even if it's for just a moment, I would have to rule out using Tsukuyomi…" _

The Sekiryuutei hold out his right hand and make a taunting gesture towards Itachi. It's as if he dared Itachi to repeat what he intended to do once again. Itachi simply look at the man with a calm face, while secretly creates another magic circles. He throws a shuriken at the man and makes a hand seal.

"_**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu"**_

The shuriken multiplied and heads towards the man. The man simply stands still on his place, as if to say that this kind of attack would not damage him in the slightest. However, he was surprised when some of the shurikens didn't bounce of his armor and instead embed itself on it. The reason this happened is because Itachi not only imbued his shuriken with wind element, but he also targeted area that are least protected.

The man looks curiously at the shurikens, but then he let out a roar towards Itachi and fired another energy blast from his mouth. The Itachi in front of him only look passively and before the man knew it, he suddenly disappeared as if he is simply a mirage, while the area where he once stood is completely obliterated. The man let out a defiant roar at this, while the real Itachi standing tens of meters away from the man with several hundred magic circles in front of him. Slowly, Itachi raises his right hand as if to signal the beginning of something big.

The man instinct picks up where Itachi is and quickly turns towards him. However, at this moment, Itachi brought down his hand and all hundreds magic circles simultaneously let out torrents of water, which wash away everything on its path, including the Sekiryuutei. The result is the town is now completely flooded with water as high as ten meters. Itachi made a mental note to himself to thanked Great Red for the vast magical energy that it put inside him if he ever meets the dragon again. That attack just now consumes a considerable amount of energy and without doubt would leave him exhausted if not for what the dragon has done for him. Itachi then look towards the direction where the man was washed away, and see a red light coming out from the water.

**BOOST**

The water around the light explodes at the same time that voice came and revealed the standing form of the Sekiryuutei. Itachi stands on the water and look at the Sekiryuutei passively. The man on the other hand is cracking his hands and neck and let out a distorted amused voice.

"**Sha…ll…we…beg…in…roun…d…t…wo….?"**

Itachi raise his brows, because of the fact that the man still retains some degree of his sanity, despite having entered the Juggernaut Drive's state. He starts to wonder whether it's possible for him to enter the man's consciousness or not. However, he shoved away that idea for now, in favor of readying himself for the second round.

The man saw this and let out a fierce roar and charges towards Itachi again.

With that, the second round is now begun.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Sirzechs castle]**

Sirzechs is currently looking at several documents on his table. These documents include the request for permission to turned Kuoh academy into a co-ed school from his father and Lord Sitri. However, what he is currently worried about is the paper that has a detailed plan on the engagement of Rias with the son of the Phenex clan, Raiser. He knows what kind of person Raiser is from the rumors that circulates about him and the fact that all members of his peerage are girls. He really doesn't want to let Rias married someone like him, and prefer to let her pick her own partner (which he has an idea who is it going to be). However tradition and necessity will be quite difficult to break, but then he only let out a small smile when he thought about a certain young man.

"Well~. If it's him…then he definitely can come up with something when the times come~" said Sirzechs with an amused smile on his face. With that He lazily lies back on the chair and proceeds to take the cup of tea on the table and starts sipping it. But, after only one sip….

SMACK!

He was smacked on the back of the head by Grayfia using a paper fan.

"BWAH!" Sirzechs spit out the tea from his mouth and slowly holds the back of his head. He then looks at the direction of the attack with a painful expression, but then his face paled.

"G-G-G-Grayfia~" stuttered Sirzechs while sweating like crazy.

"I took my eyes of you for just a second and you already going back to being lazy… Care to explain your reason?" asked Grayfia with a very stern voice and expression. Sirzechs sweating even more because of this and starts to frantically search for something that can be used as an excused. He then has a bright idea and hold out a paper in front of Grayfia.

"I'm not lazing around~. Look! I'm just thinking about this!" declared Sirzechs while pointing at the paper. Grayfia took the paper from Sirzechs and starts to read it. After a while she looks at him with curiosity on her face.

"Isn't this the plan for Rias engagement with Raiser Phenex?" asked Grayfia. "What are you intending to do with it?" Sirzechs smiles at Grayfia's question and looks at her with a 'I have a nice idea' face.

"Well~. I plan to send the hero to rescue the princess~" explained Sirzechs jovially. Grayfia raises a brow at what Sirzechs just said and slowly stares intently at him, because she understood what he is planning.

"You intend to make Itachi destroyed the engagement?" asked Grayfia with a cold expression. Sirzechs eyes became dots, because of the woman's expression. After he gulped down his spit, Sirzechs nod weakly at her. A frown then appeared on Grayfia's face.

"You do realized what would happen if he does that…" Grayfia said slowly with her visage turned demonic. Sirzechs inhaled deeply in order to calm his heart down and voice his reasoning.

"W-w-wait a minute, Grayfia. I have a VERY good reason for planning this~. I simply wanted my sister to find happiness" said Sirzechs while trembling on his chair.

"By sacrificing the happiness of other… Is that what you're really thinking about?"

"Mu!? Of course not! What kind of brother am I if I sacrificed my younger brother!?" declared Sirzechs.

"But that is exactly what would happen if you send Itachi to stop it. He would suffer prejudiced from the elders for breaking the traditions. Not to mention, since he is a human, he can't interfere with the working of the society of the Devils" explained Grayfia.

"That's IF his identity as a human is leaked out, right~?" replied Sirzechs with a smile.

"…."

"And I doubted Otou-san and Okaa-san would leaked out this secret, seeing that they have a lot of respects towards him~" explained Sirzechs. Grayfia closes her eyes, because she knows that they indeed would never reveal Itachi's identity to anyone, including Rias.

"Besides, I really wanted to see those elders get silenced because of Itachi-kun's scolding~. I bet Ajuka and Serafall also wanted to see that kind of reaction from those old people~" said Sirzechs while imagining the silenced form of the elders. He couldn't help but chuckle since that's most likely the kind of thing that would happens if they are faced with Itachi. Grayfia sighed at this, but then she stared intently again at Sirzechs.

"If you just wanted to do that….then why don't just do it yourself? Stopping the engagement, silencing the elders, breaking the old traditions, there's no need for us to put those responsibilities on his shoulders" said Grayfia with a stern expression. Sirzechs look at her for a moment with a blank expression, but then his smile return.

"Because…I have a feeling that he could accomplished what we could not. Besides even if we did not tell him about the engagement, once he learned that this engagement is arranged and is forced upon Ria-tan, what do you think he would do? Don't you think it's better if we let him know so that he could prepare himself first~?" explained Sirzechs with a smile.

"But…." Grayfia couldn't let out another word because Sirzechs interrupted her.

"Besides…saving the princess is the duty of the hero, right? Not the Satan…." said Sirzechs with a wide smile on his face. Grayfia becomes silent, because of what Sirzechs said.

"…."

"And don't you think that Ria-tan would be extremely happy if it's her hero that came to save her and take her away?" said Sirzechs with a nostalgic smile.

"….Hmph…." Grayfia couldn't help but let out a small smile at what Sirzechs is implying. Both of them shared a comfortable moment as they immersed themselves in memories.

However, the comfortable moment was brought to an end when suddenly one of Sirzechs subordinates enters the room.

"Sirzechs-sama! Please forgive my sudden intrusion, but I need to give you this urgent report!" said the man with a really urgent tone. Sirzechs raised his brows in curiosity while Grayfia only look at the man with a calm expression.

"Continue…" said Sirzechs.

"Ha! Right now, the town which is located near the canyon where the dragons dwelled is currently under attack!" reported the man.

"!" Both Sirzechs and Grayfia expressions turned serious after hearing this.

"Witnesses did not see who caused this attack, but we highly doubt it's one of the dragons"

"Have the troops been mobilized?" asked Sirzechs.

"Yes sir! But there is a problem"

"What is it?"

"There is a massive barrier surrounding the town and we have tried every ways to destroy the barrier, but it has no effect at all!" reported the man.

"What about the civilians? Is there any casualties?" asked Sirzechs urgently.

"No sir! We have counted the number of civilians and they're all outside of the barrier, and although many were injured, but none is serious" Sirzechs and Grayfia could hear 'but' in his voice.

"But?" The man gulped down a nervous spit and continues his report.

"But…witnesses said…there was a young man who engaged, or rather, being attacked by the enemy and it is most likely that he's still inside the barrier fighting said enemy" finished the man.

"….Do we have any description about this young man?" asked Sirzechs gravely. For some reason, he has a really bad feeling, a feeling that is also shared by Grayfia.

"Yes sir! Witnesses said, he has a short straight black hair, wears a red jacket with black shirt and black pants, but they said one of his most striking feature is the long pronounced tear troughs under his eyes" finished the man.

"…."

"….."

Sirzechs and Grayfia look at each other with stunned expressions. Those descriptions sound very similar to what Itachi looks like. After a moment Sirzechs regains his bearing and then proceeds to move to the middle of the room.

"Sirzechs-sama?" Grayfia called.

"Grayfia… I'm going to go there" said Sirzechs with a very serious voice. Grayfia becomes a bit surprise, because she rarely heard Sirzechs sounds very serious like this.

"Understood… Let me accompany you then, Sirzechs-sama" Sirzechs smiled at her reply and proceed to create a magic circle to teleport them into the town. However something unexpected happens.

The magic circle that supposed to be able to teleport them to the town, let out a violent voice. The next thing that happens is that the magic circle is forcefully destroyed, as if there's something or someone interfering with their attempt to teleport inside the town. Sirzechs and Grayfia became perplexed while looking at the scene in front of them. The subordinate on the other hand is now standing nervously.

"What's just happened?" asked Sirzechs still with a perplexed expression.

"Sirzechs-sama! May I add something?" asked the man. Sirzechs only gives the man a nod.

"Every attempt to enter the town, even if it's through teleportation is not possible, sir!"

"How come?" asked Grayfia.

"That barrier creates some sort of interference that practically isolates anything that is inside it from the outside world. Ajuka-sama said that unless it was destroyed, then we have no means of entering the town" finished the man.

"Ajuka? He's there?' asked Sirzechs with a bit of surprised on his tone. This is to be expected, since the man rarely went out to personally deal with matters like this and usually opted to stay with his research.

"Yes! He also asked me to deliver a message to you, sir!"

"What is it?" asked Sirzechs.

"Sir! He said 'I took the trouble coming here, because I felt that 'ring' is slowly weakening. It might even breaks soon' is what he wanted me to say to you"

"….."

"…."

Sirzechs and Grayfia knew what the message means. The ring without doubt is referring to the ring on Itachi's left hand, and if the message was indeed correct, then Sirzechs feared that things will go downhill for Itachi.

"Where is Ajuka now?" asked Sirzechs.

"Sir! He is currently in the outskirt of the town and trying to figure out how to destroy the barrier" finished the man. Sirzechs look thoughtful for a moment, and then he look at Grayfia and she gives him a small nod. He nodded back and then gives his attention back to the man.

"Thank you. You might return to your post now"

"Yes sir!" said the man while saluting at him.

Sirzechs gives a thankful nod and proceed to create another magic circle to transport him and Grayfia to where Ajuka is.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

**[Underworld – Dragon's canyon] **

At the same time when Sirzechs is having his conversations, one of the dragons in this canyon is currently being restless. No, dragon might not be correct, since he was reincarnated as a devil. So it's probably more accurate to say that he is a dragon-shaped devil.

"**Tannin-sama, is there something wrong? You have been restless since Itachi-dono left"** asked a blue dragon.

"**It's….nothing. It's just….the air is suddenly taste bad"** answered Tannin solemnly.

"**True…it's as if it got affected by your restlessness"** teased the blue dragon. Tannin, however remained solemn, and after a brief moment of contemplation he directed his gaze towards the direction of the town.

"**I have a strange premonition… I'm going to go to the town to look for Uchiha Itachi. Take care of things here for me"** And with that Tannin flies away towards the town.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

**[Underworld – Outskirt of the town]**

Groups of people consisting of civilians, soldiers and medics can be seen gathered in one spot. The medics focusing their attentions on tending the injured, while the parents are seen holding their child to assure them that everything is going to be alright. The soldiers on the other hand, focusing all their attacks, magic and non-magic alike, to destroy the barrier, but it proves to be futile. Meanwhile, Ajuka is currently analyzing at the barrier with such a great focus, but then his attention got diverted when a magic circle suddenly appeared.

"Sirzechs. You're late" said Ajuka. As expected, Sirzechs and Grayfia appeared from the magic circle. Sirzechs immediately went to Ajuka while Grayfia went to gives orders and directions to the medic and soldiers.

"Ajuka! How's the situation?" asked Sirzechs urgently. Ajuka look at him for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

"Do you want the good news first, the bad news first or the very bad news first?" asked Ajuka. Sirzechs blik twice at what Ajuka just said, but then he asked him to start from the good news first. Ajuka let out another sigh first, before starts explaining.

"The good news is that all the residents of this town are here, outside the barrier. The bad news is, well, you should've known. The one that got trapped in there is none other than Itachi and I'm sure you can feel it, the enemy inside there is very powerful" explained Ajuka. Sirzechs gives a nod and has a very serious look on his face. He then asked him a certain question.

"If that was the bad news….then what the very bad one is?" asked Sirzechs. Ajuka closed his eyes while thinking on how to explain it. He then decides to be blunt and tell him everything.

"That ring I gave to Itachi….it might not actually be even enough to isolates that unknown power within him since the very beginning…" began Ajuka seriously.

"What?" asked Sirzechs with questioning eyes.

"I monitored that power using that ring, and although the ring is indeed seemingly capable of suppressing and isolating that power…." Ajuka trailed off.

"But?"

"It seems that power play us for fools" finished Ajuka with a solemn expression on his face and his tone carried a certain edge in it.

"What do you mean?" questioned Sirzechs with his voice full of confusion.

"All these years that power was not suppressed by the ring…. It MADE itself suppressed by the ring. It's intentionally got itself suppressed as if it's simply playing around with a new toy" explained Ajuka.

"What?! How did you know that?" questioned Sirzechs.

"There are fluctuations from the data that I monitored. The worst part is that the fluctuations are stable and it only happened just now" answered Ajuka, which caused Sirzechs to become confused at his answer.

"It couldn't be that bad….right?" Sirzechs asked hesitantly.

"It IS that bad" answered Ajuka immediately.

"But if it's stable…."

"Because it's stable, there are two conclusions, Sirzechs. First is Itachi managed to control that power which is very unlikely considering that he still wears that ring. Then it could only be the second, which is something that I feared might be true" explained Ajuka with a very intense expression.

"What is it?" asked Sirzechs.

"That power is alive" said Ajuka gravely.

"!"

"If that power is alive then it would indeed explained everything. Why it suddenly fluctuated when it should be remains suppressed just like before…" state Ajuka who begins to trail off again.

"…..So there is something in him, like a creature that resides inside him?" asked Sirzechs with a solemn expression.

"I'm not sure…. Until re-evaluation and further research was done, I can't tell you anything more" state Ajuka while pressing his temple, because of the headache caused by Itachi's situation.

"…."

"Now let's get to the topic in front of our eyes" said Ajuka who then averted his attention to the barrier in front of them. Sirzechs also look at the massive barrier which completely encompassed the town. Ajuka then glared at it as if he is annoyed by this thing.

"This…_barrier_…" began Ajuka with so much hostility in his voice "is not a barrier at all". Sirzechs raise a brow at what his friend just said.

"What do you mean it's not a barrier? It's clearly a barrier no matter how I see it" said Sirzechs. Ajuka shakes his head slowly and turn his attention back to Sirzechs.

"It _looks _like a barrier, but that's all. The way it was created was not through magic and unfortunately I still couldn't discern the materials and the method behind its creation, besides the fact that it's not magical in nature. Besides, Sirzechs, what are the purposes of a barrier?"

"Either to conceal or to provide protection" answered Sirzechs.

"Correct. But this _thing_ in front of us does not conceal nor protect. It calculates" state Ajuka.

"But it clearly protects like a barrier should" pressed Sirzechs.

"Like a barrier, but not one. Sirzechs, remember that the strength and effectiveness of a barrier depends on the one who cast it. It can't calculate, and it certainly can't negate impacts, it can only act like a shield, passive and fixed. This thing however, practically calculates everything that comes close to it and let out some sort of interference on its wall that negates the impacts of our attacks and attempts to enter it. It literally exists to isolate anyone inside it from the outside world" explained Ajuka.

"….."

"However, the worst part is that I couldn't help but feels that whoever erected this _barrier_ is also the one who is responsible for putting that unknown power inside Itachi" state Ajuka. Sirzechs became thoughtful after hearing his friend's explanation, but his contemplation was abruptly brought to an end when suddenly a massive ball of fire hurled towards the barrier.

The resulting explosion was so great that everyone presents needs to cover their eyes and faces, because of the heat and dust. Smokes billowed from the barrier, and after it's cleared, the result becomes visible.

There's nothing. No destruction, no burn mark, there's not even a scratch on it. The barrier stood proud as if it's defies all logic in the world and mocks all attempts to bring it down. The attacker snorts in annoyance and then he addressed the two Satans.

"**Not working, eh? It seems it's just as you said… Ajuka Beelzebub" **said a 15 meters tall dragon.

"Tannin-dono, it seems you overheard us. Since when if I may know?" asked Ajuka.

"**Since the part where you mentioned that Uchiha Itachi is inside this thing" **answered Tannin. He then looks back at the barrier and have an idea.

"**If my attack is not working, then we should try it with the combination of all our attacks. That means you two and that 'Strongest Queen' over there" **added Tannin while gesturing towards Grayfia. Grayfia noticed Tannin and gave him a slight bow before resuming what she did before.

"I told you, it's useless to attack it as long as we can't overcome its calculating ability" state Ajuka in a matter of fact tone.

"**Do you have a better idea then, Ajuka Beelzebub?"**

"Honestly? No. That's why instead of just us four, every single able bodies should also attack it. It also helps to relieved stress" explained Ajuka while pointing at the soldiers. Tannin smiled at Ajuka's plan and let out a booming voice.

"**Alright! You've heard him! Everyone! Attack the barrier no…!"** Tannin could not finish what he wanted to say, because suddenly a sound of massive explosion can be heard from inside the barrier.

KA-BOOM

"What was that?!" shouted Sirzechs.

KA-BOOM

"It's from inside the barrier" state Ajuka calmly.

KA-BOOM

"Just what's happening in there?" questioned Grayfia while assisting the parents and medics in calming down the terrified children.

KA-BOOM

"**Damn it! Uchiha Itachi, don't you dare die!" **boomed Tannin who then proceed to attack the barrier alongside Sirzechs and Ajuka.

KA-BOOM

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**[Inside the barrier – Ruined town]**

"*Huff*…*huff*…*huff*….*huff*… This is bad…" state one Uchiha Itachi while tiredly looking at the man in front of him.

The surrounding areas have totally been destroyed beyond recognition. The buildings were crippled, the streets were devastated, and rubbles and sign of destructions are visible everywhere. Itachi himself look worn out with his jacket has been ripped off and bruises and scratches on his body are visible to the naked eyes. The battle has gone longer than Itachi anticipated and he has no choice but to deactivate his Mangekyo in order to preserve chakra. He also wonders why the Satans or anyone else for that matter doesn't come here or noticed the amount of destruction caused by this battle.

Unfortunately for Itachi, they DO come. It's just they are unable to enter the town, because of the barrier. Not to mention the barrier also isolates Itachi and the Sekiryuutei from the outside, which prevented him from noticing the arrival of Sirzechs, Ajuka, Grayfia and Tannin.

"_My chakra is running low… I need to find a way to finish this quickly" _thought Itachi tiredly. The man in front of him then fired another energy blast from his mouth and Itachi could barely dodge it, due to the speed of the blast.

Itachi look at the man again, and see that his appearance has become more and more bestial. He really couldn't help, but compared the man's current appearance to an out of control jinchuriki. He briefly averted his eyes towards the katana on his right hand and see that there are cracks on it. This is to be expected, after all, Itachi has used 'Kanesada' to parry attacks from the man in front of him. As it is, the only weapons in his arsenal that are still usable are his kunai, normal shuriken, wires, and 'Kanesada', everything else was already broken.

The man let out a roar and charges towards Itachi again. His speed and strength have increased tremendously as a result of boosts. The only thing that keeps Itachi away from being seriously injured when he traded blow with him directly is his skill in taijutsu. In a matter of second, the man is now in front of Itachi and brings down his clawed hands. Itachi managed to dodge swiftly, but then he was grabbed by one of the dragon hands. Quickly, he uses Shunshin to escape from his clutch and appeared right behind the man. He quickly flashes a hand seal and creates several Kage Bunshins. With that he jump away and gained a considerable distance. The man turned away, but then he was blasted away when the kage Bunshins explodes.

"Now… That should buy me a bit of time". With that Itachi took a slow deep breath, and look at the direction of the Sekiryuutei while creating another magic circle.

The Sekiryuutei stand up in annoyance, and is about to charge at Itachi once again. However, the moment he stepped on the water, Itachi sent out a massive lightning from the magic circle that stunned the man. Itachi took this chance to finally come close to the man and look at him in the eyes. But, because he exhausted his chakra, he couldn't use Tsukuyomi without risking his current condition, so he opted to just enter the man's consciousness and try to return him to his sense.

With that he locked eyes with the man and quickly entered his consciousness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

"This place is….." wondered Itachi after he opened his eyes. Right now, he is inside the man's consciousness, however the view inside is definitely one that he didn't expected.

Everywhere there's only fire. Even the ground is scorching and the heat is almost unbearable. However, Itachi paid no heed to it and starts walking. He walks following a single rocky path as if it's laid there for him to pass through this fire. As he walks, he noticed that there are chains everywhere and he wondered what the purposes of those chains are. He also noticed that the chains seemingly went to the same direction he is heading to, so Itachi speculates that those chains perhaps are used for binding, similar to chakra chains.

After a while, he finally arrived in a large clearing and in the middle of it there are a massive red dragon and a person. The dragon however, is nowhere the size of Great Red even though it has a similar color to it. Itachi noticed there is a similarity between the two beings with both of them is currently restrained by those chains, with the man's hands, legs, and neck bind by the chains, while the dragon, its mouth, wings, hands, and body also share the same fate as the man. Itachi look at the scene in front of him passively, and after a brief moment he asked the man in front of him a question.

"Who are you?" asked Itachi loudly, since he was not sure whether the man is conscious or not with his head down like that. Itachi wait for a moment and then he tried again.

"Who are you?" There was still no reply. He considered using sharingan to force the man to talk, but suddenly his head jerked up.

"Aaaaaahhh… It's you…." said the man with a very tired voice, as if the world is on his shoulders. However, the man in front of Itachi has a small smile on his lips as if he finally meets with the person that he wanted to see the most.

"Who are you?" asked Itachi once again. The man only gives a small laugh at Itachi question, but then he smiled at him again.

"Someone…who was supposed to die…long ago…" the man answered enigmatically. Itachi tilt his head a bit in contemplation at what the man said, and then he ask his next question.

"Why do you attack me?" asked Itachi with a cold voice. The man let out a broken laughter, but then tears rolling down from his eyes.

"Because…I…was told…that…you…are able to….end this cursed existence of mine…." answered the man while smiling at Itachi, but his tears continues to rolled down from his eyes. Itachi's gaze intensified, because of the man's word.

"Someone told you about me? Who was it?" Itachi asked calmly. He has speculation regarding people who might told the man about him, but the man's answer blow up all his speculation.

"I…don't…know about him….but he has the same eyes as you….and he was also the one who put Ddraig in that situation" said the man while gesturing at the restrained dragon behind him. Itachi became shock at the man's answer, because of what it possibly implies.

"By the same eyes…do you mean…"

"Yes… The same strange eyes that you have right now…" said the man without a hint of hesitation.

Itachi contemplated this news and he starts to wonder if someone else from the Elemental nations ended up here. But questions appeared in his mind. Who is this person? Perhaps an Uchiha or maybe someone who possessed a sharingan. How did that person end up here and knows about him also being in here? Did he spy on him for a long time? And did he have a clue regarding the situation in the Shinobi world and their current situation? And so on. Those were a fraction of what Itachi's thinking right now, but his train of thought was abruptly halted when the man start sobbing.

"Please….you have to….kill me…. You must…stop me!" pleaded the man. Itachi look at him with a passive expression, but his hands are clenched so hard that he might break it.

"I…"

"Please! Before…I fully lost myself… I know what I did out there….but at least…at the very least….I wanted to die while I'm still myself…" pleaded the man again while sobbing. Itachi look at the man with a grim expression and tried to speak but suddenly voices can be heard from everywhere.

HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE

"This is…?!" asked Itachi.

"It's the voices of the previous bearers of the Boosted Gear…. They will forever haunt the wielder and forced him to lose his sanity when he unleashed the true strength of the Boosted Gear…." explained the man.

PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN

"Please…you must kill me before they took over! I don't even want to imagine what kind of horror they will unleash upon the world if they managed to control me!" said the man while crying very hard. Itachi couldn't help, but to closed his eyes and clenched his fists even harder, because of what this situation remind him of.

"But I…."

KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL

"PLEASE! YOU HAVE TO STOP ME! YOU MUST KILL ME!" screamed the man while letting out a burst of power that forcefully ejects Itachi from his mind.

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Itachi returns to reality and quickly distant himself from the Sekiryuutei. He looks at the man for a moment and sees that there are tears on his eyes. The man let out a very sad roar and at that moment…

**BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOS TBOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST BOOST**

"….." Itachi regard the sad being in front of him for a moment before closing his eyes. The man's appearance is now more of a dragon than an armored man. It looks as if he is already lost himself completely. Itachi, after a brief moment of contemplation finally made and speaks out his decision.

"I don't know whether I can kill you or not right now…." The man let out another roar and a blast of wind swept the surrounding areas. Itachi, however remain glued to where he stands. Slowly, he opened his eyes….

"But I know….I CAN stop you…" and with that his eyes shift into his Mangekyo sharingan once more and with a determined look on his face he regard the man again.

"**GROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRR!"** the man charged at Itachi while giving out his fiercest roar. Itachi, however remains still on his place, but the moment the man came close to him…

BAM

He was swatted away by a giant hand. The man flies away for several hundred meters and crush through the remnants of a building. He quickly stood up and sees something that perk his curiosity.

Right now, Itachi is being envelops by a red humanoid skeleton-like being and it looks as if it protected him from the man's assault just now. The skeleton then further developed into a massive humanoid being that completely surround Itachi.

"_**Susano'o"**_ and with the declaration of the technique's name, the giant completed its transformation.

The Sekiryuutei saw and feel the danger that the giant emitted. However, he took this as a challenge from the person in front of him and fire energy blast from his mouth. Itachi only look passively at the incoming energy blast. The moment the blast struck, the man expected the giant in front of him to disappear and the person die from his attack, only to be shown a view of a completely unharmed Itachi.

"It's useless. Durability aside… I enhanced Susano'o with magic so that its current defensive capabilities far exceed its normal state. Your attack would not be able to destroy it" declared Itachi.

The man let out a defiant roar and proceeds to do something weird. He puffed up his chest. Itachi couldn't help but look at him with confusion, because of the strangeness of his action. However, the next thing that happens is the jewel on his chest glowed and then he revealed a hidden launcher on his chest.

"…" Itachi became speechless, partially because of the ridiculousness of the scene in front of him, and mainly because he couldn't help but be reminded of a mecha from one of the anime that he watched with Rias when he looks at the man in front of him right now. However, he was brought out to reality when the launcher on the man's chest is begun to charge.

Itachi's eyes widen a bit, because of the amount of power being gathered in the man's launcher.

"_This is…just like a tailed-beast ball!"_ thought Itachi. He quickly materialized the Yata mirror and held it in front of him. Right after that the man launches his attack.

**LONGINUS SMASHER**

With that declaration, a massive red beam shot out from the man's launcher. Its power and intensity is unlike anything that Itachi has ever encountered and the moment it hit Itachi's Susano'o, it begins to vaporize it. The Yata mirror managed to absorb some of the attack, but that's all. It couldn't contain all of it and his Susano'o is starting to break apart. So, Itachi directed the Yata mirror upward and change the trajectory of the attack. His plan works, and the beam is moving to the sky. The next moment, however, a dull voice can be heard and Itachi immediately look up and his eyes widen when he saw a barrier on the sky.

"What…is that? A barrier?" wondered Itachi. However, his confusion was brought to an end when the Sekiryuutei begun to charge his launcher again.

"_It seems I have to put that plan into motion…."_ thought Itachi. With that he drew out 'Kanesada' and imbued it with wind element. He then unleashes a slicing wind with the intention of delaying the man's attack. It works and the man is now look annoyed at him. That's all he need though, since Itachi secretly created a Kage Bunshin and simply wanted to divert the man's attention from his clone. With that he let out a small smile.

"Forgive me…but I will seal you now…" declared Itachi with a matter of fact tone. The man looks at Itachi with seemingly a confused gesture, but then the next moment his attention got diverted by a sound from above him. He quickly looks up, but that turns out to be a bad decision, since Itachi's attack directly hit his face.

"_**Rasengan"**_

The man was pushed down from the force of the attack and it's seemingly staggered him. Itachi quickly clap his hands together to concentrate the flow of magic as he remembered what MacGregor said.

"_Itachi-kun, do you know what a magic users should do when they run out of magic?"_

"_It's simple… They just need to borrow it from another source"_

"_Ley lines are the most useful places to borrow magic, since it's basically provides us with the magic of the world"_

"_If you can controlled it properly, you can even uses it to seal Gods, since Gods themselves are part of the world"_

"_You don't need to be in a place where a ley line is located to use its power. All you need to do is arranged your surroundings to creates an artificial ley line so that the magic could flow to your location"_

"_Well, this is only a theory anyway, since it's extremely difficult to create an artificial ley line. Everything must be arranged with such a great precision that maybe only by a miracle such a thing could happen"_

"_Heh…look at me… Talking about miracle even though I'm a devil"_

"MacGregor-san…. I will prove to you…that we don't need to wait for miracle to occur. We can create it with our own hands" with that declaration, Itachi activated the seal that he has prepared since the beginning of the fight. This seal is his last resort to stop the Sekiryuutei, due to the chance that he might be unsuccessful in activating it. However, green lights start to seep out from the ground and then it takes the form of a root. Right after that, all the roots quickly restrained the Sekiryuutei and bind him to the ground.

"**Groaaaaaarrrr" **the man let out another defiant roar and attempt to destroy the roots, but it proves to be futile. He keeps struggling until finally the roots envelop him completely. Itachi let out a tired sigh and then his body falls to the ground, due to the fatigue caused by using Susano'o. He sits up and looks at the sealing process in front of him. He almost gave out to the fatigue, but when his eyes already half-closed, it snapped open. The reason is, because there is a blinding red light in front of him. Itachi quickly activates his sharingan and see that the man has charged his launcher again. But this time, it's even more powerful than before, and Itachi's eyes widen in surprise, because the man pushed back all those power inside his body. The only thing running on Itachi's mind at this time is…

"_Don't tell me… he is planning to blow up himself?"_ thought Itachi. The light in front of him intensified and the ground begun to shakes. Due to the tremor, the arrangement of the ley line was disrupted and the seal weakened. The weakened seal then reveal the state of the Sekiryuutei and indeed it looks as if he intends to blow himself up.

"This is bad…" Itachi tried to stand up, but feels difficult to do so since he lost much of his chakra. As if to make the matter worse, a cracking noise can be heard. Slowly, Itachi looks down at his left hand and sees that his ring has cracks everywhere. Itachi look at it with disbelief, of all the time, it has to crack at the worst possible one. He then starts to feel intense pains once again, and blood is coming out from his mouth.

He then averted his attention back to the Sekiryuutei and considers his options, not that he has any to begin with. So, the only thing he could do is to force his body to bear with the pains and fatigue and summons his Susano'o. He then drew out the Sword of Totsuka with the intention of sealing the man inside the jar. However, as if the man noticed Itachi's intention, his body starts to glow and begin to let out a massive heat and the next moment, his body is overwhelmed by blinding light. Itachi quickly tried to seal him away, but it's too late. The man's body already let out a red light and everything, the sky includes, is covered by the light. Knowing that he won't be able to seal the man with the state that the man is in right now, Itachi shifted his priority to sealing the explosion instead. He quickly stabbed the light in front of him and although he is able to seal it, but the process is far too slow while the light spread out even faster.

…

….

…..

"_It seems… I will not make it"_ thought Itachi as he is overwhelmed by the light. As he looks at the light, his memories flash before his eyes. Good or bad, all of it is precious memories of his time in this world, and as those memories flash before him, he couldn't help but remembered all the promises that he made.

**{Naruto Shippuden OST – 04 – Experienced Many Battles (recommended listening to) Begin}**

"_Don't you dare lose to anyone until I defeat you!"_

"_Sairaorg…it seems like we won't be having our next spar. Sorry for not meeting your expectations"_

"_You must become my 'Partner'"_

"_Sona… I'm sorry. I wouldn't be able to become your partner in the future"_

"_You promised?"_

"_Itachi~. Since next year I will be attending Kuoh academy with Akeno and Sona, I wouldn't be able to see you often. So, please promise to me that you will go and attend Kuoh with me once it's became co-ed"_

"_Forgive me…Rias. I couldn't keep up our promises… I won't be able to…attend Kuoh with you"_

**{Naruto Shippuden OST – 04 – Experienced Many Battles end}**

And with that his body starts to fade into the light. However, unnoticed by Itachi, the cracks on his ring grow even larger and the next moment….

CRACK

It's completely destroyed while at the same moment the Sekiryuutei starts to explode. Itachi paid no heed to the intense pain and instead brace for the end of his second life.

….

…..

…

…

…..

…

…..

…..

"_**Need My help?" **_

"!"

And with that the world that was dyed red, because of the explosion, turned white.

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**[Gremory castle] **

"Hm~" hummed one Rias Gremory while looking at a chess board in front of her.

"What about…this?" she then moved one of her pieces, but then she becomes frustrated.

"Not going to work…"

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. It seems you are diligently training yourself" teased Akeno who just entered the room.

"A-Akeno!" yelled Rias with a blush on her face.

"You really want to beat Itachi….don't you?" said Akeno with a smile.

"Yes…" replied Rias with an embarrass look.

"Don't forget though… we will need to move to the human world in a few months' time to attend Kuoh academy"

"Ah…yes. Of course, I remember. I planned to visit it again a few times, just to familiarize myself with the area" said Rias.

"Do you planned to bring Itachi with you?" asked Akeno. Rias look thoughtful for a while, but then she shakes her head.

"No. He is busy with his training and I don't want to disturb him anymore than I already had" answered Rias. Akeno giggled at Rias answer which prompts Rias to look at her weirdly.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. So you DO realize that you're a bother to him"

"Akeno! What do you mean by that?" shouted Rias. Akeno only continue to giggle while Rias fumed.

"But, don't you miss him?" asked Akeno.

"Even if I don't go to see him, I will still be able to see him anytime I want" explained Rias.

"But soon…"

"I know. That's why I made him to promise me that he will come and attend Kuoh with us when it finally becomes co-ed" explained Rias with a smile.

"So…it has been decided…"

"Yes. They only need to renovate the building and officially announce it. I believe, on our second year, it would already be a co-ed" explained Rias with a happy expression.

"That means I could seduce him with a school uniform and school swimsuit…." said Akeno while licking her lips. Rias has a blank look on her face and then she starts trembling.

"Akeno!" yelled Rias.

"Ufufu~" with that they began their daily arguments without noticing that the man they were talking about would not return anytime soon.

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**[Ruined town]**

After the blinding light and the explosion disappeared, so to the barrier that prevented the Satans and the former dragon king to enter the town. Quickly they order the soldiers to scramble and search for Itachi, but they didn't have to look for long, because they found a massive crater on the middle of the town. The crater is not very wide, but it's very deep and Tannin hurled fires after fires to lighten the crater, but it's so deep that the fire could not reach the deepest part. Ajuka look at the crater, or rather, the way it was formed with an intense gaze, while Sirzechs continue to look for Itachi alongside Grayfia. Then a soldier came to him and informed him regarding something.

"Sirzechs-sama! We found this beneath the rubbles!" reported one of the soldiers. Sirzechs went to the man to see what he found and then his eyes widen.

It was 'Kanesada' or rather it was what remained of the famous katana. The hilt is intact although it's also severely burned, however the katana lost its blade. Sirzechs slowly grab the katana and look at it with a grim expression, the same expression that is share by Tannin.

"Itachi-kun…" said Sirzechs gravely.

"Sirzechs-sama" called his ever devoted maid (wife), Grayfia. Sirzechs then look at her and show her the broken 'Kanesada'. Grayfia's eyes widen and after a moment she turned her attention to Sirzechs with a grim look on her usually stern face.

"Is he….?" asked Grayfia.

"No"

"But…"

"He is still alive, Grayfia" said Sirzechs without hesitation. "I know he is still alive".

"Your reason for that is….?" asked Ajuka who has finished examining the crater.

"I just know" replied Sirzechs.

"Sirzechs, sorry if I disappoint you, but based on the depth of this crater, the explosion must be extremely powerful, and I doubt a human could survive something like that" explained Ajuka. Sirzechs became silent for a moment, but then he looks at Ajuka with certainty in his eyes.

"Ajuka. He is alive"

"And as I said what is your reason to believe that he is still alive?" repeated Ajuka. Sirzechs then grow a wide smile on his face and give his reply.

"Because…he promised Ria-tan that he would attend Kuoh with her. Do you really think that he is going to break such an important promise?" said Sirzechs with a very wide smile. Ajuka couldn't help but sigh at his friend's answer, while Grayfia grew a small smile upon hearing that.

"Then….what kind of excuses that we should make to your little sister to cover up for his absence?" asked Ajuka. Sirzechs look thoughtful for a moment, but Tannin who was silent all this time finally speaks.

"**Simple. Just tell her that Uchiha Itachi is in an intensive training with me and would not return for a year or two"** explained Tannin. Sirzechs consider that excuse, but then he asked the dragon a question.

"Why a year or two? You sure he won't return after that?" asked Sirzechs with a doubt plastered on his face. Tannin grew a smile at Sirzechs's question.

"**You've said it yourself. Uchiha Itachi promised Rias Gremory to attend Kuoh with her. That means, he WILL return in a year or two" **explained Tannin. Sirzechs face turned very bright and his smile returned upon hearing the dragon's answer. Ajuka and Grayfia also have a smile on their faces, because of Tannin's conviction.

With that in mind, the four of them returned to their work, with Grayfia coordinating the soldiers, Tannin help clearing out the destroyed buildings, Ajuka examining the broken 'Kanesada', and Sirzechs who content himself with drinking a tea, which of course resulted with a harsh punishment from Grayfia.

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**[?]**

"Heheheh~…."

"You seem happy…."

"I AM happy. After all, things have become even more interesting than before, to the point that I don't feel so bored anymore"

"What is that in your hand?"

"This? An eye of course. Is it not obvious?"

"I know that's an eye, but where did you get that eye – that sharingan?"

"I made it"

"…."

"I'm curious whether it's possible or not to create such a complex organ like an eye using a dark matter…"

"I see…. By the way…can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"What was that…_barrier_…that you erected? It' wasn't magic, wasn't it?"

"What a pain… I really don't like explaining things from the beginning…."

"…."

"Well, let's just said…it's the product of my delusional apprentice in his attempt to hide himself from the rest of the world. And if you want to know, it was created using magic greatest enemy…"

"….A product….of Science…."

"Oh? So you know. I thought Gods like you only care about magic and so on…..It seems I'm wrong…."

"Well, that was true for my siblings though…. I on the other hand always keep tabs about humans"

"That's right…. After all, you like them, just like me"

"….Don't compared me to you….."

"Are you angry? Will you try to kill me now?"

"…..No…. It's useless anyway. There is nothing that could kill you permanently in the current age"

"What a shame…. If you could kill me…then that would blew up my apprentice's plan"

"…"

"Oh well. But you know…. In the world where my apprentice resides, there is something that could kill all supernatural beings whether it's good or bad"

"..."

"Do you have nothing more to say?"

"I do have one question left"

"And that is?"

"Were you the one who manipulated that 'Sekiryuutei'?"

"Not manipulated, I simply gave him an opportunity"

"Opportunity?"

"Yes. An opportunity to die as he wished it. Well, he was supposed to die a long time ago anyway. It seems that the disturbance because of the changes in fate has start to show its effect"

"Changes in fate? Don't tell me… you have been manipulating fate all this time…."

"Not really. I simply shown it a new direction to pick and well, it was fate's own choice to pick the direction that I presented to it. And it seems that man noticed the disturbance in fate from his battle and trying to fix it even as we speak. But that's why life is so interesting. I couldn't predict what he would do when he obtained that Sacred Gear. Whether he would took it for himself or not, and the fact that the power I gave him has finally took action also serves to make this world even more interesting"

"Took action?"

"Yes"

"Are you saying that power is alive?"

"If you're asking, whether that power is a living creature that breathes and so on than the answer is no. But, if it possess a will of its own then the answer is yes"

"…What is that power really?"

"Something that came from outside the world….."

"….I don't understand…."

"It's alright if you don't understand it. After all, even if you spend another millennia trying to comprehend the nature of that power, you still won't be able to understand it"

"…..I see. By the way….before you go…let me gives you a word of advice"

"Oh? An advice for me? What is it?"

"Do not underestimate humans"

"….."

"One day….the one who will find a way to kill you for good are humans. I can guarantee you that"

"…Heh….."

"?"

"If that day finally comes, then wouldn't it become very interesting?"

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**~ 2 years later ~ [Human world] **

A person can be seen sitting on the edge of a building's roof. It's difficult to make sure whether this person is a man or woman, because of the black hooded cloak that the person wears. The face is also covered with bandage, and leaving only his/her eyes visible. The person eyes are red with three little tomoe in it. The person then directed his/her gaze towards a certain school.

It's the Kuoh academy. The academy where many devils and humans goes to. The person directed his/her eyes towards the students, or rather, the humans who attend the school, as if he/she is appraising them.

"Kyaaaaaaa! It's Kiba-kun!" screamed one of the girls

"Kiba-kun! Look here" called one of the girls

"Ah~. To see Kiba-kun first thing in the morning. What a great day" and with that, the girl fainted to the ground.

A blond Casanova received all those praises from the girls when he entered the school ground.

"Damn Casanova! Stealing all the girls' attentions!" screamed one of the boys.

"Issei! Be careful! Those girls gonna kill us if they heard you!"

"Matsuda! Motohama! Don't you guys upset?!"

"Unfortunately, I still treasured my life" answered Motohama.

"You ero-megane!" screamed Issei.

"Psssstt! It's those perverted trio!"

"Let's get away. If we stay close to them, we're going to ended up pregnant"

"Ueeeeehh. They look at me like they want to violate me"

"Hey! Stop treating people like a disease!" screamed Issei.

"Wait, Issei! That's…." trailed Matsuda at the image of two girls coming to school.

"Rias-senpai and Akeno-senpai!" screamed Motohama.

"Where?!" Issei quickly look around and noticed the two Onee-samas of the school.

"Waaaaaaaaaah. Rias-senpai and Akeno-senpai~. They look elegant and beautiful today as well" squealed one of the girls.

"Truly, an ideal images of women" nodded another girls.

Issei could only stare at the two beauties as they walk. He then has a perverted look on his face.

"What a beautiful breasts as usual" said Issei with a very perverted voice. The girls heard this and proceed to deliver judgment upon him, while the two Onee-samas ignored this commotion and starts heading to their club room.

The cloaked person saw this commotion and let out a small sigh, but then he/she let out a small smile at seeing the two Onee-samas. He/she then turned his/her attention towards his/her right hand which is currently holding a green orb.

This orb is a core of a Sacred Gear.

Specifically is the core of one of the thirteen Longinus.

It's the core of the Boosted Gear.

The person looks at it for a brief moment and starts to contemplate things. After that, he/she returned his/her attention to the commotion in Kuoh academy. As he/she looks at the commotion with appraising eyes, he/she begins to wonder to him/herself.

"Now then…."

"Who should I give this to?"

With that, the person dispersed into dozens of crows, leaving no evidence of his/her presence on the roof.

**AAAAAAAANNNNNNNDDDDD finish chapter 6! Sorry for the delay! I was busy with my school and didn't have the time to work on this. I'm really tired, because of school, work, and this, and I think the next chapter will takes more time than this one to come out. I simply need to rest. As I said this is the last chapter of the prologue arc and the next chapter is finally the DxD storyline. Thanks for the reviews and, yes, I'll try fixing ch 5 ASAP. And as usual….**

**Rate and Reviews, folks.**


	7. Initiation

**HEY GUYS! I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAACK! THANKS FOR WAITING! As I said, I was resting for a while, and now it's finally vacation time! Which means I can focus on this story more and gives faster updates! Thanks for your reviews guys, and, hey, I've got new reviewers! Do you guys realize how happy I was to see the reviews reach 100? Here you go! The first chapter of the new Arc!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 7

**Initiation **

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It's a normal morning as usual for one Hyodou Issei. Or rather, it was supposed to be one normal morning to the one of the most – if not, the most pervert guy in existence. Unlike any other morning, this morning he woke up late, and had no choice but to run as fast as his legs could carry towards Kuoh academy.

"Oh, crap! I'm late! I'm late!" shouted Issei. He keeps running and running like a criminal who are being chased by a dog until he arrived near an intersection. However, on this intersection, for some strange and inexplicable reason, Issei had a very _imaginative _thought, or perhaps it is more accurate to call it a delusional thought.

"_Wait a second… Usually when male characters in manga and anime came across an intersection while running late to school…they're usually…." _Issei's imagination slowly creeps up to his head and a then he has a very perverted expression plastered to his face.

"_Muhihi~. There's no doubt about it…. This must be my lucky day!"_ screamed Issei in his head. Well, maybe he really should reconsidered his thought, because, there's simply no way something like that will happens in reality. Not to mention he got the roles between the female and the male characters mixed up.

So with those perverted thought, he marched towards the spot where his destined encounter will occur. However, what happens next is certainly one that would not only crush his delusion, but also forever changed his fate in a way that he did not expect. As he slowly approaches the spot, he could hear footsteps coming from the left direction and his imagination flared up to max.

"_This is it~! This is it~! Breasts~! Harem~!" _sang Issei in his head with a very disturbing tone. If it was voiced out, then there's no doubt that people – especially, the women who've heard it will either sweat dropped, or kill the culprit who spread out the unpleasant vocal disease. However, his merry thought and song was brought to an abrupt halt when he sees the person who came to the intersection.

"_It's…" _thought Issei gravely with his jaw dropping to the road as the result of the expression that he has right now, which is pure shock. He starts to tremble and then hold his head with both hands while screaming something.

"It's….. A GUUUUUUYYYYYY!" screamed Issei with tears streaming down from his eyes, to the point that it looks like he has a waterfall in his eyes. True enough, the one who appeared on the intersection, was a man, although he couldn't see his face because of the hood and the fact that he wears a black cloak, but the outline of the person is clearly that of a man. The man was a bit surprised by this sudden and utterly unfathomable outburst in front of him and then he shakes his head slightly.

"DAMN IT! Why does it have to be a guy!? Am I destined to end up in a fellow guy's embrace!? Is that it!? What's with this screwed up setting!?" screamed Issei to the heaven, with his tears streaming down even harder. With that, Issei continue his ranting and starts throwing out curses after curses towards whomever responsible for this situation.

…

…

…

"…." The man became speechless due to the sheer ridiculousness of what the young man in front of him just screamed out. The reason he is here was because of the results of what his program shown to him few days ago and NOT for things like _destined encounter_. The man look at the boy who is still ranting with a blank gaze, and then he slowly pulled out a small touch screen device. He browsed the apps and after a moment he touches the application with a single word 'Measure'. A contrast to its simple name, this application is anything but simple. It consists of a very complex calculations program, graphs, and so on. He then directed the device towards Issei who is now crying on his hands and scanned him again. After a moment of calculations, the results are once again displayed on the screen.

COMPATIBILITY RATE WITH **B.G** = 93.892471% - ABOVE RECOMMENDED COMPATIBILITY RANGE.

The man stared at the results that were once again shown on his device. He then directed his gaze back to Issei, and see that he is now hugging a utility pole while screaming out something that is best left within one's imagination. The man sweat dropped at the young man's attitudes and starts to feels a headache creeping up to his head and then he averted his gaze back to his device. The man considered his options for a while after seeing the younger man's attitudes. He could just ignore this young man here and search for other possible candidate, but at the same time he is also running out of time and he knows that no other humans in Kuoh academy possess a compatibility rate this high. So, the man decides to gamble everything on the young man in front of him, while hoping that his plan would work.

"Young man…." began the man slowly.

"WAAAAHHHH! STOP! STOP! I'M STRAIGHT! I DON'T SWING THAT WAY!" screamed Issei while slowly backing down from the man. The man is now sweat dropping even more, and then he slowly brought his left hand to his face, and starts massaging his temple due to the immense migraine caused by the young man in front of him. After a few moment of headache, migraine, call it whatever you like, he decides to just go straight to the point. With that, he slowly lifted up his head so that Issei could see his face.

"Wha-What is it that you want!?" shouted Issei when he sees that the man is slowly lifting up his head. He is going to shout at the man again; however, his next sentence is washed away when he saw the man's face.

"_Wh-what's with that getup? Is he a cosplayer or something?" _thought Issei with a slightly frightened expression. This is to be expected, since the face of the man in front of him is heavily covered with bandages to the point that only his eyes are visible. Not to mention that there are numerous incomprehensible words inscribed on those bandages which Issei has no idea what it means or what the purpose of those words are ( to him at least ). Issei starts to think that the man in front of him is a gang member or maybe a yakuza and he is out for his blood. Issei gulped down his spit and tried to strike a proper conversation with the man, with the purpose of finding out his intention. However, he became paralyzed when he saw the man's eyes – or rather, the change in the man's eyes.

Yes, the eyes of the man that were originally black slowly turned into red with three little tomoe in it. For some reason, Issei found those eyes very cool-looking, but at the same time also very frightening due to the feeling that it gave him. He feels that those eyes are looking straight at his very being, at what made him a person, and seemingly appraising it. Issei is now truly frightened, because not only those eyes unnerved him greatly, but the cold gaze of the man also serves to make him feels like he is in a presence of someone that could kill him coldheartedly. He became freak out and tried to run away, but then he noticed one thing.

"_I-I can't move my body!"_ screamed Issei in his head. He then tried to speak, but find that he also couldn't open his mouth. As he was panicking, the man slowly approached him while taking out something from inside his cloak.

It's a green orb.

And the orb is pulsating yellowish light as if to tell the world that it is alive. Issei however, thinks that it's just the sun being reflected on the orb's surface.

The man holds the orb in front of Issei and whispered something. Issei thought that he speaks to him, but after a moment, he noticed that the man is talking to the orb. Issei couldn't quite hear what the man said, but he could hear bits of it.

"Ddraig….. Young man...host...soon….leave him….your care…" Those were the bits that Issei could hear and he starts to wonder who this _Ddraig _was. In addition, Issei starts to believe that the man in front of him is insane for talking to an orb. However, his eyes bulged out when he saw the orb let out another light, but with a far greater intensity to the point that if he could move his body, he would definitely shielded his eyes from the light. It's as if the orb replied to the man in front of him. The man gives a slight nod and then proceeds to lock eyes with Issei. Issei could feel all the blood in his body frozen from fear, but then he remembered something and glared back at the man.

"_D-Damn it! There's no way I'm gonna let a stranger kill me! I haven't even have sex yet!" _wailed Issei. The man saw his glare and he could see the fire in his eyes. The man let out a small smile, although there's no way Issei could notice it, since it was hidden behind his bandages. The man's gaze softened and Issei is now no longer felt afraid of the man. In fact, the man's gaze is now very warm as if to say that he would not harm him. However his next words contradict his gaze.

"Forgive me… But I shall impose this fate upon you…" said the man slowly.

"_Forgive him? For what? And what fat-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" _ Issei could not finished his train of thought, because the man suddenly pushed the orb to his chest and this made him suffer a burning sensation all over his body. The man continues to push the orb into Issei's chest, but this time he applied more force. Slowly, the orb sink inside Issei's chest, while at the same time Issei is screaming inside his head.

"_AAAAAAAAHHH! THE PAINS! IT'S HOT! I'M ON FIRE!" _Issei screamed in his head with agony plastered on his face. The man however, ignored the look of agony that Issei has and continue to press the orb. This process continues for three minutes, but for Issei, it feels like eternity instead.

After the orb has completely merged with Issei, he then drops to the road and lay there weakly. The man looks at him for a second and then proceeds to put his right hand on Issei's back. After that a green light appeared from his palm and for some reason Issei could feel that his pains are slowly dissipating and his body rejuvenated.

"_Aaahh…. Somehow…this feels really warm and nice…." _thought Issei. He even starts to feel sleepy and if not for the fact that suddenly the man turns his body around then he would definitely fell asleep.

"…" The man stares at his face intently, and Issei is starting to feel uncomfortable from being stared like that. Suddenly the man opened his mouth and says something which greatly confused Issei.

"I'm sorry…but I will have to erase your memories regarding this meeting of ours. Otherwise this plan might not be able to succeed" explained the man slowly. Issei wanted to ask the man a question about what just happened today and what he was talking about, but suddenly the man's eyes starts to spin and Issei find himself slowly losing his consciousness. The next moment, he completely lost his consciousness and the man proceeds to lay the younger man on the side of the road to let him rest properly for a while until he wakes up. Having done that, the man slowly walks away and then he dispersed into dozens of crows.

After more than twenty minutes, Issei finally wakes up and the only thing that he could think at that moment is…

"_Why the hell did I sleep on the road?"_ questioned Issei to himself with confusion visible on his face. As far as he could remember, he was heading to school, but somehow mysteriously ended up sleeping on the road. He then realized one thing, one grave thing.

"Oh crap! I'm LATE!" screamed Issei who then proceed to dash towards Kuoh academy once again. He continues to run, all the while not noticing the pair of eyes who look at him from the roof of a nearby building.

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The man looks at Issei's running figure for a moment from the roof, and then he pulled out his touch screen device. He then touched the application with the name 'Plans' and after that numerous amount of plans appeared on the screen. Many plans intertwined with each other, but there are also plans that are independent. The man directed his gaze towards the plan with the name of '_CRIMSON _PEERAGE' and then he opened it. After that he looks at the plan once again and pressed the first part. With that the device displayed the current progress of said plan.

_**CRIMSON **_**PEERAGE PROGRESSION**

HOLDER OF THE BOOSTED GEAR – COMPLETED_SERVANT OF _CRIMSON_ – ON PROGRESS_PROMOTIONS – PENDING_RATING GAME – PENDING_ INTERFERENCE OF UNION BETWEEN _CRIMSON _AND _PHOENIX _– ON PROGRESS_PEERAGE COMPLETION – PENDING.

COMPLETION OF THE PLAN = 23%

**ADDITIONAL ACTIONS REQUIRED TO INCREASE THE PROBABILITY FOR THE PLAN TO BE COMPLETED ON TIME**

The man frowned a bit when he saw the current progress, but then he let out a small sigh and starts to consider the option of taking actions directly in the future. He then returned his attention back to his device and browsed the plans once again. He scrolled down until he arrived at the plan that is placed in the very bottom.

This plan is strange. Not because it was placed at the very bottom, but the fact that every single plans, whether it was intertwined or independent, ended up in this plan. It's as if all the plans above it were simply a mean to complete this plan. However, if it's viewed from the bottom, this plan is instead looks like the root of a tree, like it's the origin – the beginning of all the plans above instead of the final plan.

The weirdest part however, is the name of the plan.

THE _**ONE**_ WHO STANDS ABOVE THE 'SYSTEM'

The man stared at it for a minute before scrolling back to the '_CRIMSON _PEERAGE' plan. He looks at it for a moment and then he directed his gaze to the sky while letting out a small sigh. The man then starts to mutter something to himself.

"Well then…Rias. I've done the initial part. The next part is up to you. I hope you would make the new 'Sekiryuutei' a member of your peerage" muttered the man with a small smile.

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**~ 2 Months later ~**

Today is a blessed day for one Hyodou Issei, as today is the very first day on his entire life where he would go out on a date with a girl. Two weeks ago, he was confessed to by a girl named Amano Yuuma and although he initially thought that the girl deceived him somehow, but he really couldn't find any hint of that from the black-haired girl. So, for someone who never had a girlfriend before, it's like an angel suddenly came to him. Not to mention, the girl is quite beautiful and her assets are also quite big, so he really couldn't say 'no' to the girl. He really feels like screaming to the world and bragging about the fact that he finally got a girlfriend.

As it is, he prepared for every single conclusion of today's date, especially _that _conclusion. However, what going to happen today is certainly something that he didn't expect.

"Will you die for me?' asked Yuma with a very sinister smile.

"Eh?"

The next thing that happens is the girl in front of Issei grew a pair of black wings and she suddenly stabbed Issei with a spear of light.

"!" Issei couldn't speak because of the pain caused by the spear and he dropped down with bloods everywhere. He struggled to look at his 'girlfriend' and sees that she starts talking about something that he couldn't understand.

"If you want to hate someone, you can hate the God who put the Sacred Gear inside of you" said the girl with her sinister smile still plastered on her face. Unknown to the girl however, it wasn't God who put the Sacred Gear inside Issei. The girl continues to speak, but Issei couldn't hear her anymore, because his consciousness is slowly fading.

After seeing that it's just a matter of time before the human in front of her die, the fallen angel quickly departs from that place. However, she missed the presence of the spectator who is currently sitting on one of the trees while looking at the scene in front of him with analyzing gaze.

"_Is this how I'm going to die…?" _thought Issei bitterly. He really regretted not being able to have sex before he dies, but then he remembered the pamphlet that he picked up at school earlier. If it truly could grants wishes as it states, then he wished to die while being hugged by a beautiful girl, especially the likes of the two Onee-samas. He tried to reach the pamphlet, but find out how difficult it is.

"_**Really now… You're going to die just like this? You don't want to ruin 'his' effort now, do you? Here…I'll lend you a hand…" **_said a mysterious voice from inside him. If Issei wasn't dying, then he would definitely be freaked out from hearing a voice coming out from inside him. However, as it is, he could only try to reach the pamphlet with his remaining consciousness. But this time, Issei could feel something help him moves his hand to grab the pamphlet. After he touched the pamphlet, a red magic circle appeared and from within it came out a young woman with a crimson hair. The woman looks at the bloodied man in front of her, and let out an amused giggles. She then proceeds to said something to Issei, but he could no longer hear anything. With that she pulled out a red chess piece, specifically the pawn piece and drops it to Issei's body.

While the woman is doing all of those, she does not realized that someone is watching over them with a slight smile.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx

The man looks at the scene in front of him with a smile. Not only because his plan is proceeding smoothly, but also because of the fact that the crimson-haired woman looks fine.

"Rias…." the man muttered the name of the girl with a slight smile. He then proceeds to press his touch screen device and then it displayed the progress of his plan.

SERVANT OF _CRIMSON_ – COMPLETED

The man smiled while looking at his device. He then proceeds to stand up while thinking about the effectiveness of the information that he spread regarding the Sacred Gear inside Issei. However, he certainly didn't expect a fallen angel of all beings to be the one who attacked him. He suspected that fallen angel must be disobeying Azazel's order for some reason, since he knows that Azazel would never gave out an order to his subordinates to attack civilians, especially one who is just an ordinary human.

As it is, the only thing that prevented him from saving Issei was because he wanted to see whether the young man would awaken his Sacred Gear in that situation or not. When he saw that the young man was going to die, he was going to saved him, but saw that Ddraig had interfere and lend the young man his help. He also noticed that the boy carried with him the Gremory contract pamphlet. So, he decided to just sat down and see how things are going to unfolded. And true enough, everything goes the way he predicted.

When he saw that a magic circle of house Gremory appeared and from it came out Rias Gremory, he couldn't help but smile. After all, he hasn't seen his friend within such a close range for years. He noted how she has grown much in just two years, and he sure hopes that her personality also becomes more mature.

The man's musing was abruptly halted when he feels a soft tug from inside him. He then muttered something to himself with a slight frown.

"What do you want?"

…

"No. It's not yet time for that"

…**..**

"It's fine. She can take care of herself"

…**..**

"Yes, it's fine. She also has her peerage with her"

…**..**

"That's why I deliberately set things up so that the current 'Sekiryuutei' would be a part of her peerage"

…

"If something like that happens, I'm sure Ddraig will assist him again like just now"

…**.**

"Yes. After all, he agreed to give us his assistance"

…**.**

"…..'Good Night' to you too…."

The man finished talking to himself, and directed his attention back to Rias. He then saw that she spend all of her pawns to resurrect the young man and this also makes him curious whether it's because of the Boosted Gear, or is it because of the young man's potential which makes him worth eight pawns.

The man shakes his head slightly while at the same time he pushed his curiosity to the back of his head. The man looks at Rias one last time and then suddenly he vanished from the spot where he once stood.

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"Huff~. Finally finish. I never thought he would take all eight pawns to be resurrected" said Rias with a satisfied smile. She looks at the man in front of her and noticed that he is one of the members of the so called 'perverted trio'. An amused smile appeared on her lips when she thought how 'that man' would react if he faced this kind of people. However, soon after that she became depressed due to the fact that she hasn't seen 'him' for two years and no news of him from her brother – he only explained to her that 'he' is currently training with Tannin. She starts to doubt whether her brother was telling the truth or not, because he always said the same excuse. Add the fact that she is engaged with Raiser Phenex, even though she doesn't want it, made her starts to believe that 'he' was disappointed with her for getting engaged without telling him.

She was brought out of her depression when she felt someone's presence. It was very subtle and she almost missed it, but she felt it nonetheless. Quickly, she looks at one of the trees, but there is nothing there and there is no sign that someone was there. She continues to stare at that spot for a moment, before shrug it off as her being paranoid. She then returns her attention back to Issei, and prepared a magic circle to transport him back to his house.

After she transported the young man back to his house, she looks at the sunset for a moment, and reminisces about those moments when she came here with 'him'. She has a nostalgic smile on her lips, and then she pulled out a locket from inside her school uniform – or rather, from between her breasts. She opens the locket and it reveals the picture of a young Rias hugging a young man's arm. In that photo, she has a very innocent and happy smile, while the young man only has a slightly tired expression plastered on his face. She looks at it while stifling a giggle and with a slight blush on her face. Then she muttered 'his' name.

"….Itachi…"

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Issei was confused when he woke up the next morning. He thought that he was dead, so when he woke up, he believed that all of those things were simply a dream. That was what he wanted to believe. Because of how real it was, he has a hard time believing it to be a mere dream, and imagine his shock when he arrived at school and questioned both his friends regarding a certain girl. Their answers almost gave him a heart attack, because they said they have no idea who 'Amano Yuuma' is.

Issei couldn't believe what he just heard and explained to them who she was. Unfortunately, they still couldn't remember a person named Amano Yuuma. Issei starts to think that all of the things that happened were indeed a dream. However, this train of thinking is dispelled when he meets with a man who possessed the same black wings as Yuuma on his way home from Matsuda's place. Issei starts to become creep out when the man mumbled something about devils and how he wanted to kill him. However it was when the man creates a spear of light that he truly became freaks out. So, he starts running as fast as he could, but the man chased and catch up to him effortlessly.

"Did you truly think that you can run away from me that easily? This is why lowly beings are…." complained the middle-aged looking man. Issei froze on the spot and tried to run again, but for some reason that spear really frightened him. The fallen angel sees that Issei doesn't pay any attention to what he said and then narrowed his eyes.

"Haaaah~…I guess it's useless to talk to an 'Exiled' devil…." said the man with a sigh. He then starts to twirl the spear on his hand, and the next moment he threw it towards Issei. The spear that was supposed to hit Issei's stomach missed, because Issei managed to dodge at the last moment thanks to the voice that screamed in his head and brought him out of his stupor.

"_**DODGE! Yes, like that! Dodge to the right!"**_instructed the voice from inside him. Issei managed to dodge another fatal attack from the fallen angel in front of him, while said fallen angel could only look at the devil in front of him with shocks plastered to his face. The fallen angel becomes outrage from the fact that a lowly devil was able to dodge his attack not only once, but twice.

"You lowly….!" His screamed was cut when suddenly a red ball of energy shot out and hit the spot besides him and disintegrates it, leaving only a hole the size of said ball. Issei and the fallen angel became surprised at the sudden interruption, and directed their attentions to the newcomer.

She is very beautiful and attractive in Issei's opinion. With long crimson hair, beautiful face, slender figure and most importantly, the big breasts that she has, it makes her fits the ideal image of his favorite kind of girl. Issei knows who this girl – this young woman in front of him is. She is one of the two Onee-samas and the most beautiful girl in Kuoh academy. And it seems, the fallen angel also knows who this girl is and then he addressed her.

"That crimson hair….. You must be from the house of Gremory…. Huhuhu… So that means that kid is your servant and this town is your territory…" state the fallen angel with a small laugh. The woman let out a smirk and then she look at Issei, or rather, the bruises on his body. She then directed her attention back towards the fallen angel, but this time she has a red aura around her, and her gaze has turned into an intense glare. Issei and the fallen angel became unnerved seeing this kind of display from the crimson-haired woman.

"It seems that you have taken a good care of my cute servant here. Unfortunately, I shall ask that you put that spear away and go back to where you came from" said Rias with smiles on her face, but the threat in her voice made it visible that she is very upset. The fallen angel flinched slightly, but then he gave her his reply with a smirk on his face.

"And if I do not do what you asked…?" questioned the man. Rias narrowed her eyes and then she replies with a face full of confident.

"Then… I shall blast you away" replied Rias with a confident smile. The man frowned a bit after hearing this, but then he sighed and complies with the woman's order. He turns away from both devil, but not before leaving his last remark to them.

"My name is Dohnaseek…. You two better remember that. Especially you, stupid-looking devil" declared Dohnaseek while pointing at Issei. Issei became dumbstruck for a moment, but then he gave a defiant glare at the fallen angel. With that the fallen angel flies away, leaving the annoyed Rias and Issei together. After a while, Rias turned towards Issei and gives him a gentle smile. Issei has a sheepish look seeing the smile of the most beautiful girl in Kuoh.

"Well then, I'm sure you have many questions right now, but before that lets tend to your wounds first, shall we?" offered Rias gently, while preparing to creates a magic circle to teleport them back to Kuoh. Issei only nod slightly with a silly grin plastered on his face. After that both of them disappear into a magic circle that Rias casted.

Unknown to Rias Gremory, Hyodou Issei, and Dohnaseek, they were not the only ones on that place tonight. There's another pair of eyes that observed them silently from the distance. He look through the spectacle with a passive gaze, but his eyes were slightly moved following Issei's movements, as if he analyzed and appraised the young man's ability. When Rias appeared, the observer let out a small sigh and closed his eyes, as if to say that the conclusion is already obvious. Right after Rias and Issei disappeared into the magic circle, the owner of the eyes shift his attention towards the direction where Dohnaseek flies off to. The next moment, he suddenly vanished from the spot where he once sat.

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"Shit… I never thought that bratty devil belongs to a member of the Gremory clan. I must not carelessly kill him if I don't want Raynare's plan to be ruined. Yes… I'll kill him after we've got our hands on 'that'. And after that I will kill that crimson-haired devil. Just you wait you lowly beings. I shall savor the pleasure of seeing your tormented faces when I stabbed the spear of light into your bodies" muttered Dohnaseek with a savage grin. He starts to descent to the ground and began walking away towards their base. However, when he stepped on a puddle on the soil, he heard someone asking him a question.

"What do you mean by 'that'?" asked a voice. Shock is visible on Dohnaseek's face, because he couldn't see or feel the presence of the owner of the voice. He quickly looks around for the source of the voice, but he couldn't see anyone other than himself. He warily readied his spear of light, but then suddenly a hand shot out from the puddle and grabbed his left leg. This surprised him, because he never heard of any technique or magic like this. Then he tried to release his leg from the hand's grasp, but to no avail. He then prepared to stab the hand with his spear, but before he could do that, the hand pulled him into the puddle and leaves only his fedora as a proof that he once stood there.

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"Gah!" Dohnaseek let out a pained cry, when he was dropped to the ground. He quickly looks around and noticed that he seems to be in some sort of unknown place. Unknown, because he never saw anything like this place before.

Everything in this place, if he tried to describe it with the simplest words, is like a kaleidoscope. Everything is reversed and reflected, the ground and even the sky, like everything was made of illusion. Not to mention, there are crosses embedded on the ground and the sky is very dark, not because it was cloudy or rainy, but it's just dark – or rather, black instead of the colour blue.

"Wha-where am I? What is this place!?" questioned Dohnaseek with a slight fear. He then feels someone's presence from behind him, and quickly he turns around while preparing his spear. He then sees who it is that stands behind him, however he couldn't help but to widen his eyes when he saw the man's face and eyes.

"_Wha-what's with that eyes!? And those bandages!? And those words inscribed to it…. Aren't those…!?" _thought Dohnaseek with an unnerved feeling, due to the pressure that the man's gives. His train of thought was abruptly stopped when the man locked eyes with him. Dohnaseek couldn't help, but be outraged when he sees the way the man in front of him looking at him. It's as if he is not even being considered as a threat in the slightest bit, like he is not someone who is worthy of the man's ability and only something to be observed. Dohnaseek quickly held his spear in front of him and then he pointed it to the man. The man seeing this display of hostility only continue to stare at Dohnaseek, but this time his eyes look bored instead of observant. Dohnaseek's anger boiled up when he saw this and the he yelled at the man.

"Who are you!? Do you know what you've just done!? Do you know who it is that stands before you!? I am…!" His arrogant yelled was interrupted when the man's voice, despite being lower in volume, managed to cut it like a knife.

"I know who you are…Dohnaseek. And I also know that you are a fallen angel. What I do not know is why you are here? For what purpose?" questioned the man with a very cold gaze. Dohnaseek became unnerve due to the coldness of the man's gaze, but then an arrogant smirk appeared on his face.

"Hah! If you know who I am…then surely you know that I'm not one to be messed with…!" declared Dohnaseek with a grin. The man only looks at Dohnaseek passively, and then he shakes his head.

"Said someone who had difficulties fighting a newborn devil…" said the man in a matter of factly voice. Although the man said those words without any sign of insult in his tone, but Dohnaseek couldn't help but be angry at the way the man casually pointed out his failure. So the only thing he could do is to shout out his excuses.

"Heh… If it wasn't for that Gremory woman, then there's no doubt that shitty devil already dead by now. He was just lucky…" explained Dohnaseek with a grin. The man only look at the fallen angel passively, but then he closed his eyes, and if there were no bandages covering his face, then Dohnaseek would be able to see the smiling face of the man.

"True… After all, the best you could do against Rias is to be blown away by her power…" the man casually replied with a mater of factly tone again. The only thing that kept Dohnaseek from attacking the man in front him is the fact that he knows nothing about him. He couldn't take a risk being defeated, because he didn't know who his enemy was, so he decides to be patient and try to gather some information first. But then he noticed one thing from the man's words.

"Wait a second… You know the name of that Gremory woman and the fact that her servant was a newborn…" trailed Dohnaseek. Slowly a grin creep up to his lips and then he gives the man an arrogant smile.

"Which means… You're also a lowly devil, just like them!" shouted Dohnaseek with a savage grin on his face. He then proceed to aim his spear at the man's heart and thrust it forward with the sole intention of ending the man's life.

STAB

Dohnaseek has a very wide grin plastered to his face from the fact that he managed to stab the annoying devil. He then threw the man's body several meters away and looks at it with contempt. He then scowled from the fact that he forgot that he doesn't know how to get out from here, and starts to regret his action.

"I should have interrogated him first, before killing him… Now my ticket for getting out of this place is gone…" scowled Dohnaseek. Then he looks at the spot where the body of the man fell and noticed there's nothing there. He took it into account that the man's already crumbled to dust as a result of being stabbed with a spear of light. He then continues to grumble about how today was not his day and so on. However, his grumbling was abruptly halted when he heard the voice of the devil who was supposed to be dead.

"I shall ask you once again. What is your purpose in this town?" asked the voice that without doubt belongs to the devil that he just killed. Dohnaseek looks around frantically, but couldn't find the man's whereabouts. He then yelled to the man with anger and disbelief plastered to his voice.

"Where are you!? What kind of trickery is this!?" yelled Dohnaseek. He was going to yell again, but right after he blink once, he suddenly found himself crucified on one of the crosses. Then, he saw the man appeared from thin air and slowly approaches him. However, Dohnaseek feels that his eyes are deceiving him. This is because, now there are two of the same man, no there are three, no, it's four, no, five, no, six, and so on. The man keeps multiplying until there is at least a thousand of him standing around Dohnaseek.

"…" He became speechless due to the incomprehensible display in front of him. When the man lifted up his, no, their heads so that he could see their faces, for the first time in his life, he feels frightened. Not because the man's appearances or faces have change, but because each one of their gazes set off the warning bell inside him. So, now he has sweats streaming down from his body, due to the fact that his instinct screams at him to run away, that the man is extremely dangerous and someone that must be feared.

"What kind of magic is this?" Dohnaseek asked with a very dry voice, because his throat has went dry from this situation. Not to mention, his tone was not one of defiant, but instead one of resignation, as if to say that he finally realized what his fate is going to be.

"…." The man didn't answer and instead he declared to Dohnaseek….

"This is your last chance…. Tell me everything you know before I'm forced to extract it myself…." offered the man. Dohnaseek became silent at this but then rage appeared on his face.

"Are you mocking me!? As if I need any pity from lowly beings like you!" screamed Dohnaseek. The man looks at him for a brief moment before shaking his head slightly in disappointment, particularly towards the fallen angel's arrogance.

"Then… you leave me no choice…" said the man with a very low voice. The next thing that happens is that swords came out from the ground in front of the man and his copies. The man and all his copies simultaneously pulled out those swords and held it in front of them. The man then declared with a cold voice….

"From now... I shall stab you continuously until you finish telling me everything you know..." Dohnaseek is now looking at the man with confusion, because if he stabs him, then there's no doubt that he would die and the man would not be able to retrieve any kind of information. However, his train of thought is halted when suddenly….

STAB

The man stabbed him on the heart. Dohnaseek held out from screaming due to his assumption that the pain will soon passed and he would quickly die. However, to his horror, he didn't die. No, instead of dying, the moment the man pulled out the sword from his heart, the wound stitches back together, leaving no mark whatsoever. He look at it with a widen eyes, and then he averted his eyes towards the man's eyes, but the next moment.

STAB STAB STAB STAB STAB

He was stabbed again, but this time from five different angles simultaneously. This time, Dohnaseek couldn't contain the pains and then he let out a very loud screams.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" cried Dohnaseek loudly. The pains are almost unbearable, due to the fact that the man stab his vital points very slowly. The man then stabbed him again and again and again until the screaming voice of Dohnaseek is the only thing that could be heard. Even the stabbing sounds were drowned by the fallen angel's screams and anyone who saw this scene, without doubt will say that the fallen angel will becomes crazy, if he survived this.

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"Ah….ah…..ahah…" came the broken voice of Dohnaseek. The man looks at the defeated form of the fallen angel with a passive gaze and then he checked the time.

"_Eight seconds…huh. He managed to hold out a second longer than I predicted" _thought the man.

True, only eight seconds passed on reality, and all the things that happened were a result of the man's illusion. The moment Dohnaseek touched the ground; he didn't realize that he was already sent into the illusion world by the man's eyes. In addition, the man already retrieved all the information regarding the purpose of the fallen angel in this town and who are his accomplices.

"_So, that's why there are so many fallen angels and stray exorcists nearby lately…" _thought the man with a slight frown. He then narrowed his eyes and looks at Dohnaseek once again and noted the effectiveness of his illusion.

"_It's nowhere near the level of 'Tsukuyomi', but still, it's almost as effective…and the chakra requires for it is also far less than 'Tsukuyomi'" _deduced the man while holding his chin with his right hand. He then starts walking towards Dohnaseek and crouched down so that their eyes could meet.

He is going to put Dohnaseek under his control, but then he feels a slight tug from within. With a sigh, he starts talking to himself.

"What is it?"

…

"I find it more effective if I made him a spy for us"

…**.**

"No, I don't plan to spy on Azazel-san. I shall release him after he gave us all the updates of his activities in this town"

…**.**

"The reason I put him in that state?"

…**..**

"I simply wanted to taught him some humility, so that he would not looking down on other beings ever again"

…**.**

"Well, I admit, I did kind of want to test that weaker version of 'Tsukuyomi'. After all, I didn't find anyone whom I could use that in the past few weeks"

…

"Yes…. 'Good Night'…"

After he said that, the man averted his attention back to Dohnaseek. He then looks at him on the eyes and start inputting orders into his mind. After a minute or two, he finished inputting the orders and told Dohnaseek to return to his base. As he looks at the flying image of Dohnaseek, he starts to mumble something.

"Raynare, Mittelt, Kalawarner, Freed Sellzen...and….Asia Argento with her Twilight Healing" mumbled the man who then narrowed his eyes in contempt of those fallen angels and stray exorcists plan.

"_I think… I'll starts by investigating this 'Asia Argento' and her Sacred Gear" _thought the man before his body disappeared in a puff of smoke.

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**[Kuoh Academy – Occult research club]**

Right now, Hyoudou Issei is currently looking at the crimson-haired beauty senpai in front of him with a blank face. After the yesterday night fiasco, he was told to visit this club while she healed his wounds. He was really happy to receive such a gentle treatment from such a beautiful Onee-sama, to the point that he imagined her treating him while wearing a sexy nurse outfit. Having done that, the senpai quickly told him to go home and rest, so that his injuries could fully heal. She promised to tell him everything the next day, and imagined his surprise when the next day he arrived at school; he was greeted by none other than Kiba Yuuto, the school Casanova.

Of course, this does not sit well with the students – or rather, the female students, and they promised to deliver judgment to him. Issei shuddered after hearing the girls' proclamation of pain and suffering. On the other hand, the Casanova ignored this commotion and gestured to Issei to follow him.

They arrived at the old school building, and when they entered, Issei was surprised to see so many decorations and furniture in here. Then Yuuto lead him to the room where his master is waiting for their arrival. The moment they entered the room, Issei became dumbstruck from seeing the two Onee-samas, and a white-haired loli. Rias gestured to Issei to sit down, and she starts to explain everything to him. She explained to him about devils, fallen angels, and the role of the occult research club and most importantly about Sacred Gear. After she finished explaining, Issei's face became blank, because his brain is overheating. In fact, it is melting right now.

"Oh my, it seems you couldn't handle all the things that I said to you. Forgive me…" said Rias with an apologetic smile. Issei was pulled out from his stupor after seeing the beautiful smile of Rias, but then he has a perverted smile when he looks at her breasts.

"Pervert…" accused the loli who is none other than Toujo Koneko. Issei look at her with surprise plastered to his face, but then he has a guilty smile on his lips. Rias and akeno giggled at this, while Koneko only stared passively at Issei. Yuuto on the other hand has his usual smile on his face. Rias then stood up and officially welcome Issei to her peerage.

"Well then Issei, welcome to the family" said Rias with a smile. Akeno, Koneko, and Yuuto nodded to Issei, while Issei only stands like a statue. He tried to speak, but Rias beats him to it with her question.

"Hey, Issei? Why don't you try summoning your Sacred Gear?" Rias requested while tilting her head a bit. Issei looks at her for a bit and nod, but then he realized something.

"Umm… Buchou?"

"Yes?"

"How do I summon my Sacred Gear?" asked Issei while rubbing his head. Rias considered his question for a bit before smiling.

"Why don't you try to imagine something that would bring out your Sacred Gear? Try doing some poses or anything that you think might bring it out" explained Rias. Issei thought about this for a moment, and then he has a bright idea. Slowly, he brings his hands together to the side and shouts out the technique of a certain saiyan.

"Ka….Me…Ha…Me…HA!" shouted Issei while thrusting his hands forward. Of course, nothing happens. And if not for the fact that suddenly a green jewel appears on his left hand then he would definitely commit suicide out of embarrassment.

"Th-this is!?" asked Issei while looking at Rias. Rias only nod with a smile.

"Yes, that is your Sacred Gear or more precisely the initial form of your Sacred Gear" explained Rias.

"Initial…form?" questioned Issei.

"Yes… In time it will fully revealed itself and…" Rias couldn't finish her sentence because Akeno interrupted her.

"Ara, Buchou, I think it will be better if you explain to Issei-kun about what you meant by initial form…" scolded Akeno with a smile. Rias has a sudden realization and remember that the man in front of her is still a novice regarding the supernatural world. Feeling ashamed, Rias hides her eyes behind her bangs and has an embarrass look on her face. She then looks up with a puppy eyes.

"_SO… SO CUUUUUUTTEEEEEE~!"_ screamed Issei in his head. He has a very, well, perverted look on his face, but Koneko noticed this and starts to pinch his back. Issei has tears from the pains of being pinched by Koneko, but after that he noticed the strange behavior of Rias.

Rias slowly brings her right hand to her forehead and then….

POKE

She poked her own forehead using the index and middle fingers of her right hand.

"….." Issei became speechless after looking at the odd behavior of his master. Fortunately for Issei, his confusion was noticed by Akeno, Koneko and Yuuto. Akeno giggled at this and then she decides to explain the reason behind Rias odd habit to Issei.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. Issei-kun, if you're wondering why our Buchou did that strange, out-of-character gesture…" began Akeno, but Rias fumed because she knows Akeno has just teased her. "It's because, she hasn't been poked in the forehead by a certain man for two years now" finished Akeno. Issei look at her for a moment, and then he turns his head to Rias direction and sees that she is blushing before turning his attention back to Akeno.

"A…certain man?" asked Issei. For some reason, he feels jealous of this 'man' who buchou seems to care a lot.

"Yes… He is the man who always poked Buchou on the forehead. However it developed into some sort of illness, to the point that she will poked herself when he was not around to poked her when she made a mistake" explained Akeno with a sympathetic smile. Rias hair slowly standing up from Akeno's insult, but it's her next word that made Rias released her aura.

"He is also the man who will become my 'master'" whispered Akeno with a blush while putting her right hand on her cheek. This time Issei became frightened of the girls of the occult club, because they let out some sort of violent auras. It's not only Rias that has an aura around her; even Koneko has an aura around her, because of Akeno's words. Akeno herself is letting out her own aura while smiling a very sweet smile, which for some reason scared the hell out of Issei. On the other hand, Rias and Koneko only glared at Akeno without even flinching from seeing her smile. Issei decides to go to the side in order to avoid being pulled into the conflict and ask the other man a question.

"Oi, Kiba. Who is 'he'?" asked Issei. Yuuto look at Issei for a moment before shaking his head.

"I don't know. I've never met him before, and the things that I know about him, I heard from buchou and Akeno-san" answered Yuuto with a smile. Issei frown a bit and starts to wonder what this man looks likes for having three girls, two who are the most beautiful girls in Kuoh and a cute loli, fighting over him.

"Can't you describe 'him'?" asked Issei. Kiba tried to remember what Rias and Akeno told him about 'that man' and then he gives the description to Issei.

"Well, buchou and Akeno-san said that he is around their age, which means he will be our senpai, if he entered Kuoh. They said he has black hair and black eyes, a tear through lines on his face and fairly good looking…" answered Yuuto.

"What about his personality?" asked Issei.

"Well, he is a 'strange' person" answered Yuuto enigmatically.

"Strange? How so?" asked issei with question marks hover above his head. Yuuto then brought up his hand and starts counting while talking.

"Well, they said….he is a complex yet simple person. A genius yet an idiot. Very wise yet very foolish. Very sensitive yet at the same time very dense. Very considerate yet very blunt. Serious yet at the same time a tease. And a cold yet at the same time a very warm and caring person" finished Yuuto.

Issei sweat dropped at the list of the man's features and he couldn't help but agree with Yuuto on the fact that the word 'strange' seems fit to describe the man's personality. He then shakes his head and look at the scene of carnage in front of him. He gulped down his spit and decides to ask Yuuto the most important question.

"Oi, Kiba" Issei called to Yuuto with a whisper, but still loud enough to be heard.

"What is it, Issei-kun?" asked Kiba.

"Do you know what 'his' name?" asked Issei. Yuuto has a very bright smile on his face, as if to say 'Of Course!' to Issei.

"His name…if I'm not mistaken is…." trailed Yuuto while Issei looking with anticipation in his eyes.

"Uchiha…Itachi…"

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**[Human World – Vatican]**

As expected of the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican is a place worthy to be called the base of Catholics. Many people coming here every day to pray or just to pay a visit. One thing for sure, most of these people are Catholic, however today there is a strange sight to behold. In one of the corners of Vatican, specifically on its grand library, stood a man wearing a black cloak. It's not weird for priests and bishops to visit the library and seek knowledge or guidance. But this man is clearly not a priest or a bishop. Not to mention, the room where he stands right now, is the forbidden area of the library which contains various forbidden books and is usually off limits to anyone, but the pope and the archbishop. The man slowly browsed through the various books regarding list of nuns and priests in Vatican history, sorceries, black magic, miracles and witches.

"Not this one either…" said the man, before throwing the book about miracles to the side. He became frustrated, because he has spent almost a week in this room, searching for the name 'Asia Argento'. The man easily found out about Twilight Healing, but he needs to know the history of the nun, as to why she was banished by the Church. It was not an easy feat, infiltrating this place. Not easy, but not impossible. He needs to slip through various exorcists, and angels who were disguised as humans since he does not wish to become a fugitive. Not to mention, he needs to tweak the barrier as subtly as possible, so that he does not accidentally set off the alarms.

All the while, he also needs to get out of the room due to the ranting of a certain existence inside him that does not want to stay in a closed and boring place like that.

So here he is, currently sitting down under a tree after only an hour of research. He is currently disguising himself as Japanese priest-on-training who is in Vatican for training. He slowly massaged his temple, because a certain something does not want to shut up.

"Please…be quiet…"

…

"I've done what you asked, so please give me some room to rest"

…

"I know things have been boring for you lately, but that still not a reason for you to act so childish…"

…

"Don't erase them just because you're bored…"

…

"I know you don't like them… However, you need to learn to accept other's differences. Or at least try to tolerate it"

…**.**

"I'm not going to bring out my iPad here. You need to try to gives a bit of respect to religions"

…**.**

"Just try and be patient… I'll…"

The man's words were cut, because suddenly children came to him. They start to surround him and asking him questions such as where he came from. When he said that he came from Japan, the children became enthusiastic and begun to ask things such as cultures, the society there and most often but unsurprisingly, about anime, manga, tokusatsu and the likes. The man sighed a bit, but then he gives the children a gentle and warm smile and he answered each of their questions, but became speechless because of the most ridiculous one, regarding the so called Japanese Priest-Nun illicit relationship. The man sweat dropped when a six years old girl asked that question, and began to wonder what kind of images she has regarding priests and nuns in Japan and where exactly did she heard about that. The other children respond to her question with…

"Aaahh~. I know about that too~"

"Me too"

"Big brother once said that those things are the pinnacle of priesthood"

"Eh~? But my sister said those are the pinnacle of sisterhood~"

"You're wrong! Papa and mama said those are the requirements to become a 'true' priest and nun"

"E~h? But daddy said those are the joys of being a priest~"

The children continue to argue while the man sweat dropped even more. He doesn't know whether their families were just joking when they said that or not. However, he made a mental note to re-educate the children's family and set them straight if he ever met them. That being said, right now he has a massive headache, due to the children's increasing arguments. The passerby starts to look at them – or rather, him, weirdly. Most look disgusted and upset and some look disappointed. Unfortunately he has an idea as to why they look at him with contempt. Try dressing as a priest and sit with a group of children and have the children argues about illicit relationship, and you shall understand why people look at you like that.

The man continues to sweat dropped while thinking on how to fix this situation. Fortunately, salvation came when the guide found the children. She thanked the man for the looking after the children, and the children waved at him. He waved back slowly and tiredly with a small smile plastered to his face. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't realize how terrifying the thing called gossip is and how fast it spread throughout the entire world in this age.

"I'm tired…."

…**.**

"Don't say it….."

…**..**

"If you say it…. I will lock myself in the library for an entire month…"

…**..**

"That's why…don't say it…"

…

"They're children… There's no need to get upset at them… It just show how childish you are if you get angry at a child"

…

"I am NOT a pedophile…."

The man continues his argument with the existence inside him, and then he decides to drop the matter and continue his research regarding 'Asia Argento'. After a moment of walking through the hall of Vatican, he accidentally collided with a girl.

"Are you alright?" asked the man while offering his hand. The girl looks at his hand for a moment and then she grabs it. The man pulled her up and then he noted her features. She has a light blue hair with a green fringe on her front bangs. She also carries herself the way a knight is.

"_An exorcist…"_ thought the man. The girl then looks at him a bit closer and narrowed her eyes. She tried to speak, but a sudden voice from behind her interrupted her.

"Ah! Xenovia! So you're here" shouted a Japanese girl with a brown hair that is tied into twin ponytails.

"Irina…" said the girl who is no identified as Xenovia.

"Mou~. What are you doing here? Don't you know that we have duties to be done? Ah! Father! Please excuse me, but I need to go with this girl" explained Irina with a smile. Xenovia frowned when Irina starts pulling her sleeve, but then she looks at the man once again

"….." Xenovia stared at the man silently, and the man couldn't help but wonder whether she needs something from him.

"Do you need something from…" the man couldn't finish his question, because Xenovia interrupted him with her own question.

"You are very strong, aren't you?" asked Xenovia with a narrowed eyes. Irina has a question mark on her head, while the man's eyes twitch slightly.

"No, unfortunately you're wrong. I'm just an ordinary pri…." again, he couldn't finish his sentence, because Xenovia interrupted him once again.

"Don't lie. Only fallen priest lies. You're clearly very powerful. You're aura clearly show that!" accused Xenovia while pointing at the man. Irina tried to stop her friend, but the man held out a hand in front of her, in order to stop her from interfering.

"Impressive… So you could tell whether someone is powerful or not from their aura. You must have some serious training" praised the man. Xenovia became outrage after hearing this.

"So you really…! Why! Why do you spend your days as an ordinary priest!? If you've become an exorcist, then there are no doubt those devils and heretics would've already lost many of their….!" She couldn't finish her protest, because the man has an extremely intense and cold gaze. And it is directed to her.

"…"

"….."

Xenovia and Irina could feel blood leaving their bodies and their face have become pale. Irina is in a better condition than Xenovia. However, for Xenovia who suffered the full brunt of the man's gaze, she almost ran away due to the pressure. The only things keeping her from running away from the man are her pride as an exorcist and her experiences.

"Do you…realize what was it that you were saying…?" asked the man slowly. Xenovia shakes her head while trembling from the man's gaze. The man looks at her for a moment before closing his eyes.

"You're basically saying that it's better if devils and people who are connected to them never existed…" explained the man. Xenovia and Irina look at the man weirdly due to what he just said.

"But…isn't that better? I mean the teaching of our Lord…" Irina couldn't finish what she wanted to say because the man cut her sentence.

"Do not judge things based on the doctrine of the religion. Judge things AFTER you've seen it with your very own eyes…" explained the man. Irina and Xenovia became silent and decides to hear what the man wants to say.

"….."

"….."

"You might follow your belief, your faith, but do not follow it to the point where you are blinded by it and couldn't see your surroundings. Do what you want to do, because it is what you wanted to do, not because it's what someone else wanted" finished the man. Irina and Xenovia look at him with some sort of awe in their eyes, and Xenovia felt ashamed for her treatment towards the man.

"Umm… Father?" began Xenovia.

"Do not call me father. I'm still on training…" explained the man. Xenovia and Irina became surprise, because they really thought that he was a priest. Xenovia then lowered her head and ask for his forgiveness.

"Please, forgive me…" plead Xenovia. The man raised his brows at the girl's attitude, but decides to keep silent for a while.

"I've said those things to you without taking your feeling into consideration. So, please forgive me" said Xenovia who is now bowing. The man let out a small sigh while Irina is not sure what should she do.

"It's not a problem. You simply said what you believed. In fact, it's a good thing you can say your belief loudly like that" praised the man. Xenovia blushed a bit from embarrassment and she has a troubled look on her face. She then decides to gives the man his compensation.

"No. Please let me compensate for what I've said…" said Xenovia. Irina and the man became confuse at Xenovia's intention, and they look at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"Compensate? How? With what?" questioned the man. Xenovia then looks at the man in the eyes with a slight blush on her cheeks and declared her intention.

"I…shall compensate…by becoming your wife…" answered Xenovia.

….

….

…..

"….What….?" asked the man and Irina at the same time.

"As I said, I will…"

"No, I've heard you the first time. The question is why?" asked the man.

"Eh? Isn't it said that if two people collided in the hallway then they are destined to be together?" asked Xenovia innocently. The man looks at her with an incredulous expression, while Irina quickly bowed to the man while explaining Xenovia's attitude.

"I'm sorry! Please forgive her! Xenovia is lacking in common sense" explained Irina hastily. Xenovia looks offended for being called lacking in common sense, while the man has an 'I see' expression on his face.

After that, the man took the responsibility of explaining to Xenovia about what she just said and the weight of it. Surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly, she said she has no problem getting married to him, since he's also powerful. The man feels a headache creeping up to his head and he starts rubbing his temple, while Irina keeps apologizing for the troubles Xenovia caused. The man then reasoned that since he is a priest-in-training, he must not be involved in that kind of relationship. Xenovia responds was….

"But I thought Japanese priest love to have a Priest-Nun illicit relationship?" asked Xenovia.

….

….

…..

"…_.Her too?" _thought the man tiredly. The man feels like his body and spirits going to fall apart from dealing with so many problems in one day. He really wanted to have a good rest and forgot everything that happened today. Fortunately, Irina saved him the troubled of dealing with Xenovia when she scolded her. The man then has an idea about how to use this 'compensation'.

"Xenovia…." began the man.

"Yes?" asked Xenovia with an expectant look.

"Instead of marrying me…could you tell me something about a certain nun?" asked the man.

"Name it" said Xenovia with a slightly downed expression.

"…..Asia….Argento"

"!" Both Xenovia and Irina became shocked after hearing that name and the man noticed this. Both of them trembled and Irina decides to explain who Asia is. After ten minutes or so of explanations, the man decides that he needs to see the girl himself to acquire the truth. He starts to formulate plans to achieve the desirable outcomes. After a brief moment of contemplation, he decides to return to Japan, and quickly bid both girls farewell, although Xenovia looks reluctant to be parted with him. In response, he only ruffled her hair and told her that when she came to Japan, he will take her around. Xenovia only gives a nod and made him promised to fulfill that promise. He gives her and assuring smile and turns away. However, before he could start walking away, Xenovia called out to him.

"Wait!" shouted Xenovia.

"Hm?" The man turned around and tilted his head slightly in wonder.

"Wh-what's your name?" stuttered Xenovia with a slightly shy expression.

…

….

"Itachi….."

"Eh?"

"My name… It's Uchiha Itachi…" declared Itachi.

"Itachi…" Xenovia trailed off. Itachi nod with a gentle smile and bid both girls farewell once again. Xenovia and Irina look at the figure of Itachi who walks to the distance for a moment, before turns around and starts heading to where they should be.

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After Itachi walked a considerable distance from Vatican, he quickly teleport himself to the roof of a faraway building. He quickly undo his 'henge' and it reveals that he still wears his bandages. He looks at Vatican passively, and then a smile graced his lips. But then he frowned at the information that he just obtained.

"…I need to act quickly…." muttered Itachi while inputting several command to his iPad. It then displayed the current progress and the updates that he inputted just now for the '_CRIMSON _PEERAGE' plan.

PEERAGE COMPLETION – ON PROGRESS

NEW CANDIDATE: ASIA ARGENTO

SEX: FEMALE

ABILITY: TWILIGHT HEALING

EVIL PIECE LIKELIHOOD: BISHOP 98%

HISTORY: NEEDS CLARIFICATION

After he inputted all the updates, Itachi closed the program and stored his iPad away. He then look at the Vatican one last time, but this time he saw a man with long golden hair looking at him from the roof of Vatican with a warm smile. Itachi and the man look at each other for a while, but then the man gestured to Itachi to leave as soon as possible. Itachi understand that the man wants him to return to Japan as quickly as possible and gives a thankful nod. The man nodded back and Itachi teleport himself away using his custom made magic circle.

After Itachi disappeared, the man muttered something to himself.

"Please, help her out…." said the man with a very compassionate expression.

The man then revealed twelve golden wings growing from his back and then he disappeared from the roof of Vatican.

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNDDDDD Finish chapter 7! Huff… it's been a while eh? I really hope I can gives you guys another update soon, and I hope there are no circumstances or situations that forced me to ignore this story for a while. That being said, thank you for being patient and hope you guys like this chapter. So with that….**

**Rate and reviews folks!**


	8. For My Friends

**Hey there guys. Sorry for the delay. I had a severe flu and diarrhea recently and these weeks have been a complete 'pain in my ass' (literally). Not to mention, I almost lost the drive to wrote, because of those. I noticed that you guys wondering when Itachi would meet the girls again. Well, it should be 2 or 3 more chapters until their reunion, so please be patient. By the way, the reason why the existence inside Itachi does not have lines would be explained in later chapters, but to help you imagined its dialogue with Itachi, I'll shed some light about it. Its personality is like a child who just aware of the joy of having a body, but at the same time is also like a wise old man who possess knowledge greater than most. Well, a childish sage maybe the closest definition of its personality. And as for its relationship with Itachi and its significance…well, you could try guessing it or wait for later chapters. As for Issei, I plan to give him Asia and Irina, but there might be more (depend on my mood and suggestions). And by the way, thank you for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 8

**For My Friends**

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

**[Human world – Japan]**

As soon as he arrived in Japan, Itachi quickly summoned Dohnaseek to gives him the updates of the fallen angels' activities. The reports were not very pleasant in Itachi's opinion, for there are several more fallen angels and stray exorcists that have joined them. He also received information that Asia Argento has just arrived in Japan and the girl is currently loitering somewhere in this town. So, he summoned his crows that he used to watch over the occult research cub and the student council of Kuoh academy and have them search for the girl through the sky.

After he done that, he ordered Dohnaseek to return to his base and released him from his genjutsu temporarily. He immediately hides himself while the fallen angel looks around with confusion on his face for suddenly standing in a different place than he remembered. But then the fallen angel only shrugged his shoulders and begins to walk away all the while not noticing the pair of eyes on a tree nearby.

Itachi look at the fallen angel for a brief moment, before he begun to contemplate the current situation. He couldn't help but think that this event is truly problematic. It's not that he could not deal with it easily, but rather it whom he has to dealt with that makes it very problematic.

"_Whether these fallen angels succeed or not…there is no doubt that Akeno's opinion of her father and her lineage will go downhill…" _thought Itachi with a frown.

His greatest concern is the impact that this event would have on Akeno, more so than the possible war that might occur if these rogue fallen angels succeed. He knows that the situations would not escalate into a war-like situation, because of Azazel's concern for his comrades.

However, he also knows that if the devil side is provoked by some rogue fallen angels then there are no doubt that the elders would not sit idly and watch from the side. No, he has no doubt that they would want war and blood if these fallen angels succeed right under their noses.

None of that is a problem for Itachi though. He is very familiar with wars, having experienced them when he was still a child and taking part in one when he was revived by the Edo Tensei. However, he does not want his friends to experience those horrendous events and scarred them forever. No, he much more prefers that they lived the carefree life that they have right now instead of that. Not that he would let things escalate into a war anyway.

So, with that determination, he set out to find Asia Argento, all the while thinking how he could fix Akeno's opinions of her father, of fallen angels, and most importantly of herself.

After half an hour of searching from both the ground and the sky, Itachi finally managed to locate the girl. He quickly goes to where she is, but the moment he arrived there, he has a small smile on his lips and decides to just sit back and look at the spectacle in front of him from the distance.

It's because the girl is currently accompanied by the current 'Sekiryuutei' who is none other than Hyodou Issei. He decides to just eavesdrop on their conversations and secretly follows them. He follows them to a Church and sees the girl helping out a small injured boy with her power. He then sees how Issei comforted the girl for using her power and he couldn't help but be slightly impressed at Issei's attitude. After Issei and Asia finished talking and went separate ways, if only there are no bandages covering his face, then the whole world can see that Itachi has a very gentle expression on his face while closing his eyes.

"_Such a…pure and innocent girl…_" thought Itachi with a small smile. He opened his eyes and look at the figure of the blond sister for a moment and then he directed his attention at the direction where Issei's headed to, before he look back at Asia.

"_A girl like this…there's no way she could commit treason. It seems that I would have to investigate the Church, no, the Heaven itself to truly understand why she was banished…"_ thought Itachi. He has speculations regarding why Asia was banished from the Church, but he decides to put it on behind at the moment. He then decides that the matters regarding the blond nun will be left to the current Sekiryuutei before he brings out his small touch screen device. Itachi input several updates and commands into it and then the program starts calculating the probability. After a moment, the results are shown and Itachi has a small smile on his lips. He then averted his eyes back to the nun and starts to mutter something.

"Well then….Hyoudou Issei-kun. Show me what you can do…." muttered Itachi with a smile. However, his moment of self-amusement was abruptly halted when he feels a hard tug on his chest.

BA-DUMP

"Guh!" Itachi brought up his right hand to his chest due to the force of the pull and starts clenching it. He then closed his eyes in displeasure and his breathing pace has increased. He adjusted his breathing for a moment, and after he finally could calm it down, he then looks at his chest with weary eyes.

"What do you want now?" asked Itachi with a calm voice. Even though his voice was very calm, but it carried a slight tone of displeasure aimed towards the behavior of something inside him.

…**.**

"Really? Is that why you gave me such a hard pull?" interrogated Itachi with his eyes narrowing slightly.

…

"Don't be ridiculous…." stated Itachi while closing his eyes.

…**.**

"This decision was mine alone. If something goes wrong, I'll make sure to take care of it…" explained Itachi without hesitation.

…**..**

"You know… You need to try putting a bit of faith on other people. And if you couldn't do that… then put your faith on the decisions that I made…" stated Itachi with a small smile on his lips.

…

"It will not fail… After all…the ones who devised these plans were me, you, and…Professor…even though…it was mostly Professor and me who did the planning" Itachi reminded the existence inside him with an assuring gaze and a slight tease in his voice.

…**.**

"Well… In the case that major deviations happened, I will make sure to contact Professor so that we could make an alternative…." answered Itachi.

…**..**

"Heh….that's true. He would definitely scold me again… He might even punish me like the last time…" said Itachi with a small wry smile.

…

"It's not like you were the one who suffered those things. Even though we shared body, but I'm still the one who felt the pains…" stated Itachi in a matter of fact tone and with a passive look.

…**.**

"Enough prattling. Why don't you go back to 'sleep'?" persuaded Itachi.

…**.**

"*Sigh*… And now you're sulking. I really need to go or else things might get out of hands…" said Itachi while rubbing his temple due to the headache caused by the behavior of the existence inside him.

…**.**

"I know… I will make sure not to intervene too much. After all…I am the one of the main sources of deviations in this world…" answered Itachi with a slight nod.

…**..**

"…'Good Night' to you too…" replied Itachi with a small smile on his lips.

After he finished talking, Itachi quickly pulled out several papers and then he bites his thumb. He starts writing a seal on the papers using his blood, and after he done that, he summoned another crows to his side. He let each crows bite one of the papers and then he gives them a command.

"In the case that…a stray exorcist discovered a devil's contract holder, whether he was a Gremory's contract holder or a Sitri's, I want you to drop the paper to the ground near his house…" ordered Itachi. After he gave the order, he let the crows' flies so that they could patrol the town.

He looks at the crows flying to the distance, before he looks at the direction of Kuoh academy. He looks at it for a moment and then he directed his attention to an abandoned church on the distance. He scanned it for a while, but then he let out a small sigh and set out to prepare some necessary preparations. But then he remembered something and starts massaging his temple due to the headache caused by it.

"_No matter what preparations that I made, it seems like the clash between these fallen angels and Rias' group is inevitable…. Which means…I need to think of some alternative ways to fixed Akeno's self-esteem and her relationship with her father"_ thought Itachi while massaging his temple and frowning slightly.

"_When they clashes, I wonder how many casualties these fallen angels would have… Perhaps I should contact Azazel-san and ask him whether he wants me to save them or not…" _thought Itachi before he dispersed into dozen of crows.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

**[ Kuoh Academy – Occult research club ]**

"Hapsyu!" That was the sound of the sneezed that came from one Himejima Akeno. For some strange reason, she has the urge to sneeze since earlier even though she doesn't have a cold or anything the likes. She then speculates that someone must be thinking about her and she couldn't help but feel that it was Itachi who is thinking about her. Fortunately for her and unfortunately for Itachi, she was correct. This train of thought made her _feelings _and _imaginations _goes to the maximum and she starts _touching _her body in a very wrong ways.

Rias heard her friend's sneeze and then she turns around from the chessboard to looks at Akeno. However, she could only blink twice upon seeing the spectacularly weird display in front of her and has a blank expression afterwards.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~" came the voice full of ecstasy from Akeno. True enough, in Rias opinion her friend is looking, well, _ecstatic._ Akeno is currently licking her lips while placing her right index finger on her lips. She even occasionally licked that index finger of hers. On the other hand, her left hand is, well… doing something very _lewd_. Her left hand is currently holding up her breasts, but it's the movements of the fingers that made this particular scene to be very disturbing in a sense. However, for most men, this scene would definitely arouse them to the climax.

WIGGLE

WRIGGLE

GYUUU

Such are the sound effects of Akeno's _activities _which the details is best to be left within one's imagination…..

Rias look at her friend with a blank expression, but then she is brought out of her stupor when Akeno made a [_Aa~hn_] voice, and starts to sweat dropped. She tried to put a calm façade, but it's only resulted in her having a strange smile on her face.

"A-Akeno?" Rias called out to her friend still with that strange smile plastered on her face. Akeno heard her master/friend/rival called for her, and turned her attention to Rias. She then sees that Rias is looking anxious for some reason.

"Ara, is something the matter, Buchou?" asked Akeno with a very pleasant smile. However, her hands and body movements is anything but pleasant (in Rias's opinion that is), and this made Rias sweat dropped even more. Rias gulped down her spit and ask her friend a certain question.

"What are you doing?" asked Rias with a forced smile while closing her eyes. Akeno look at Rias blankly for a moment before she starts giggling.

"Ufufu~. Isn't it obvious~? I am ma…" Akeno's attempt to explain her _activities_ was interrupted by Rias who became panic upon hearing that first bit of word.

"Waah! Stop! You don't have to explain it!" yelled Rias while breathing heavily. Her face is now covered with blush due to what Akeno tried to say. On the other hand, the black-haired girl only let out another giggle due to the sheer adorableness of her master. She then has an idea on how to tease said master and made her loses her cool again.

"Ara, Buchou~. It seems like you are still lacking in that department… if you panicked just because I mentioned 'that'" began Akeno while slightly shaking her head. Rias blink twice and tilted her head in confusion due to what her friend just said.

"What department?" asked Rias with confusion very visible on her face. Akeno let out a sympathetic smile, which for some reason greatly annoyed Rias.

"You really don't know? This means that you really ARE lacking in that department…." said Akeno with a face full of disappointment. Her ways of talking and that expression of hers truly annoyed Rias to the point that Rias is now pouring out her aura. However, Rias took a deep brath and managed to calm herself down for the sake of asking her 'queen' for a clarification.

"As I said, Akeno… What 'department'? Rias interrogated Akeno with a sweet voice and a very peaceful expression. However, her aura completely dispelled her peaceful image, and instead it makes her looks like a, well, _Devil _wearing a saint skin. Akeno is unfazed by this display of hostility and continue to smile. After a moment, she let out a small sigh and decides to give her master the answer that she seeks.

"…..Sex….." answered Akeno as if it's simply another word. It took Rias a whole minute to register what Akeno just said, and when the word finally sank into her brain, she starts to blush again.

"A-Akeno! D-do you realized what you have just said?" asked Rias while stuttering and with her face completely bright red.

"Ara. Of course I realize, Buchou" replied Akeno with a smile. Rias sweat dropped at the way her friend casually answered her question, but then she cough and has a stern expression on her face.

"Akeno. Don't you think you need to mind the place a bit when you're talking about this kind of thing?" scolded Rias. Akeno then put her right hand to her cheek and replied with her own remarks.

"That came from someone who always sleeps naked while hugging an action figure" teased Akeno. Rias could feels something sharp stabbing her heart right now due to the fact that Akeno knows that she always sleeps while hugging her precious 'Kamen-kun'.

"Th-that's because…!" Rias could not finish her sentence because Akeno interrupted her.

"Really now, Buchou. Are you not a bit old to sleep while hugging an action figure?" teased Akeno with a very sympathetic smile. Rias hair flared up as the result of Akeno's insult and her aura is visible once more. She looks at Akeno with an intimidating gaze, but Akeno is still unfazed by it and instead she gave Rias her final remark.

"Or is that action figure serves as a substitute for 'a certain someone'…?" interrogated Akeno with a sickeningly sweet smile and her aura is also visible. Rias poured out her aura even more and with that sparks are visible due to the clash between two different auras.

Most people who saw this scene of carnage would definitely feel intimidated and scared. There's no doubt that many of them would run away at the first moment. The lethality of this scene is such that practically everything in the room is now shaking due to the sheer pressure of the auras.

Rias lock eyes with Akeno for a while, but then she let out a tired sigh and dispersed her aura. Akeno raise her eyebrow at this, but then she also dispersed her aura.

"Ha~h. How could I let myself be pulled into your pace like that?" questioned Rias to herself while rubbing her temple. Akeno let out a giggle at what her master said, but then she decided to tease her once more.

"Ara, Buchou. I've done nothing of the likes. I was simply stating your innocent side towards certain things" teased Akeno.

"W-will you stop that already!?" stuttered Rias with an embarrass face.

"But…" Akeno could not finish what she wanted to say, because Rias has deemed it necessary to interrupt her.

"A-Akeno~. Why don't you explain to me instead why you did that….._activities_…of yours?" asked Rias in an attempt to change the topic. If only her voice wasn't straining when she asked that question, then there's no doubt that it would sound a lot more persuasive. Akeno look at Rias for a moment, but then she has a small blush on her face.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. I couldn't help it~. After all…I could feel that 'he' was thinking about me just now…." explained Akeno with a blush and a very happy expression. Rias blink twice at what Akeno just said, but then she slowly narrowed her eyes.

"Who do you mean by 'he'?" interrogated Rias with an intimidating smile.

"Itachi, of course. Who else do you think?" replied Akeno with a tone that literally sounded as if she just insulted Rias. Rias grew annoyed once more, but opted to just stay calm lest she got pulled into Akeno's pace again. So, instead of being angry, she decided to just ask her friend the reason as to why she felt like that.

"Akeno. What makes you think that Itachi was thinking about you?" asked Rias with a smile. However, this time, instead of intimidating, her smile is similar to Akeno's smile. Sickeningly sweet to the point that it generates a sense of extreme danger. Of course it has no effects whatsoever to the ultimate sadist. Slowly, Akeno brought up her index finger to her lips and muttered something in a very seductive voice.

"Woman's intuition~" muttered Akeno. Rias went agape due to Akeno's answer, but then she grew a tick mark on her forehead.

"Then Akeno~. Unfortunately…I have to say that your intuition must be wrong" explained Rias with a sympathetic smile. Akeno, instead of getting angry, grew a wide smile, which for some reason, unnerved Rias greatly.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. Rias…it's unbecoming of you to be jealous just because you never felt that he was thinking about you~" teased Akeno with a giggle. Rias eyes widen in surprise at the way her 'queen' addressed her. She then narrowed her eyes, because she realized that Akeno is seriously challenging her from the way she addressed her as 'Rias' instead of 'Buchou'.

"I see… So that's how you want to play it…" began Rias slowly. Akeno tilt her head to the side in fake confusion.

"Hm~? I am afraid I don't know what you're talking about…Rias" teased Akeno once more. That was the last straw for Rias and the next thing that happened is that Rias let out her aura once more, but with a far greater intensity.

"It seems like I need to 'discipline' you…Akeno…" began Rias while trembling from annoyance.

"Ara. I don't know that you are into S & M….Rias. Unfortunately, I must decline, because I have dedicated myself to one person, and he is the only one allowed to 'discipline' me…" explained Akeno with a smile and face full of ecstasy.

"Guuuu! Akeno! Stops imagining Itachi doing such a lewd things with you!" scolded Rias with a barely restrained voice.

"Ara. That came from someone who always imagines sleeping with him~" teased Akeno with another gigge. However, there's a subtle edge in her tone, but it was missed by Rias.

"I didn't imagine it. I DID sleep with Itachi" declared Rias while puffing her chest with pride.

"'Did'…right~?" asked Akeno with a small smile.

"Ah!" Rias couldn't help but gasp upon realizing what she has just said.

"Doesn't it mean…that he got bored with you…?" questioned Akeno with a sympathetic smile. Rias went agape due to the shock caused by what Akeno said.

"Wh-What! What nonsense are you talking about?!" stuttered Rias with a very shocked expression.

"Because… You never sleep with him ever again right? And I have the feeling that he doesn't intend to do that either. After all…he never allowed you to beat him~" clarified Akeno with a smile. Rias became depressed upon hearing the fact that her friend has just presented to her and she starts sulking. But as if that wasn't enough, Akeno continues her assault.

"Don't worry…Rias. I'll be sure to satisfy him the way you are unable to when I meet him again~" beamed Akeno with a very bright face.

CTASH

That was the sound of Rias's mind snapping due to the sheer stress forced into it. Slowly, Rias look up from the table, and for once Akeno feels intimidated by Rias.

"A~KE~NO~. What. Do. You. Mean. By. That?" asked Rias with a very intense gaze, which for some reason unnerved Akeno greatly. Regaining her bearing, Akeno look back at Rias and gives her reply.

"I mean exactly what I said~. I'm going to satisfy him in the ways that you can't imagine, Rias" explained Akeno as if it's a very simple matter. Rias grew a strained smile at this and she almost lost all her patients.

"What makes you so sure that he wants to be satisfied by you?" questioned Rias.

"Well… I think men love bigger breasts better right? Which means, of course he would love to be satisfied with me…seeing that I possess a bigger assets than even you~" said Akeno while licking her lips.

"H-HMPH! Even if yours is slightly bigger than mine, but it's the quality that matters!" declared Rias while proudly holding up her breasts. Akeno took this as a challenge from her master/friend/love rival, and then she locked eyes with Rias. Sparks are visible as a result of the intensity of the girls glaring at each other. Akeno then opened her mouth and proposed something that would later on becomes one of the legends of the occult research club.

"Well then… Shall we have a competition?" proposed Akeno.

"A competition?" asked Rias with confusion plastered to her face.

"Yes. A competition to determine which one of us has the better breasts…" explained Akeno with a smile. Rias sweat dropped at her friend's proposal and tried to reject it, but Akeno beats her to it.

"Ara~. Rias~. Don't tell me you're scared of losing to me?" teased Akeno.

"Who scared of losing to you? I simply wondered how we determine the winner!" declared Rias while pointing at Akeno. Akeno look thoughtful for a moment, but then she has an idea as to how to decides the victor.

"Simple… We compared our breasts by pressing it against each other~" answered Akeno with a smile and look of, bliss?

….

….

….

"…..Eh?" Rias became dumbstruck by Akeno's answer and she feels like she misheard things.

"As I said….we pressed it against each other~" answered Akeno once again.

"Wh-why should we do that?!" yelled Rias with a blush.

"Ara. So that means you admit that your breasts are not as good as mine?" asked Akeno curiously.

"No! It's just…" Rias's attempt to explain her rejection was interrupted by Akeno's voice.

"Ara, Rias~. The easiest and most accurate ways to know who has the best breasts is by pressing it against each other~. That way, we can feel it directly and gives an accurate judgment~" explained Akeno. Well…she forgot to mention how erotic it would be for two girls with huge breasts to have their breasts pressing against each other. Rias contemplate about this for a moment, but she couldn't find any flaw in Akeno's idea (in a way, the extremely erotic scene that will be produced by this competition is one major flaw). So, she looks at Akeno and gives her an understanding look.

"Ara~. I'm glad that you agreed with me. Well then, lets strip right away~" declared Akeno with a smile. She then began stripping while Rias look at her with confusion.

"We're going to do it here?" asked Rias while pointing at the floor.

"Ara~. Don't tell me, you want the whole world to see your naked body?" teased Akeno.

"N-NO! My breasts and body are exclusive to Itachi only!" yelled Rias with a blush on her face.

"The same goes for me. Which means we could only do it here, since this is the only place where no one would peeks and nobody could disturb us right now" explained Akeno. Rias nodded in understanding, and then she proceed to hesitantly but surely unbuttoned her school uniform.

It took them around half an hour to fully undress their shirt and placed it neatly on the table. Rias look at Akeno's breasts and noted that it's indeed bigger than hers. It seems to be very soft too. On the other hand, Akeno looks at Rias's breasts and noted that although it's not as big as hers, but it seems to be very sensitive and elastic. They both look at each other's breasts for a while as if seemingly appraising them, before Akeno opened her mouth.

"Well then, Rias. Shall we do this?" asked Akeno with eyes full of determination. Rias only gives a nod as a confirmation, and then slowly they walk towards each other. Their nipples have finally poked against each other, and this made the two of them to let out….

"Hyaaaan~!"

"Aaaaaahn~!"

Such erotic sounds.

The nipples continue to, well, pressed against each other, and they keep letting out those sounds. They're going to go further, but then Rias noticed one thing that they seem to forget.

"A-Akeno! Hyaaan~! Wha-AAHN~. What is the prize for the winner-MMMNNN~!" asked Rias with her question getting disrupted by her own erotic moans.

"I-MMNN~. I haven't thought abou-KYAHN~ that" replied Akeno who is in the same condition as Rias.

"E~AAHN~. Then why are we KYAAHN~ doing this? A~HN!" asked Rias with tears coming out of her eyes.

Erotic. That one word is more than enough to describe the entire scene. With girls' breasts and nipples pressing against each other, and sweats and moans being exchanged, it truly is the pinnacle of eroticism.

It is unknown whether it was due to the excitement or it's just a spur of a moment. However, Akeno has a very bright idea as to what, or rather, _who _the prize is. So, while letting out another moan, she tells Rias her idea.

"Ria-AAHN~. Why don't the winn-AAH~ get the right to MMMNN~ spend a night with AAH~ Itachi~?" proposed Akeno. Rias ponder about this for a moment, but due to the stimulus from their 'competition', her train of thought is heading towards a very wrong direction.

"R-rather than KYAHN~ a night, w-why don't we make it a week instead? MMNNN~ A-and without any AAHN~ d-disruption" replied Rias. Both girls locked eyes with each other, and as if they share their thought, they nodded at each other in agreement. They agreed that whoever has a superior breast would be allowed to spend an entire week with Itachi without any disturbance, and both knows what could happen in just a week if a boy and girl stay close together. Unfortunately, they forgot that this is Itachi, and he is unlike any other boys and males. With that, they continue their so called 'competition' and the sound of moans vibrating in the occult research club.

The so called 'Legendary Boob Tournament' has born and the effect was so wide spread that it causes a headache through an unknown ways to a certain person who is oblivious to this.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx

Uchiha Itachi is currently observing the abandoned church from a nearby tree while gauging the combat capabilities of all the fallen angels and stray exorcists there. He noted that the only real problem is the 'priest' Freed Sellzen who is known for his notorious tendencies. He believes that the rest could be taken down by the occult research club or the student council without too much trouble. However, he noted that with this many stray exorcists and fallen angels, there's no doubt that the tension between the fallen angels and the devils will rise again. He closed his eyes in contemplation, and then he opened it and starts rubbing his temple due to the fatigue he has today.

"_I better rest first before I start thinking about this. I don't want to make a mistake just because I was tired" _thought Itachi tiredly. He prepared to leave, but then he was struck by a sudden feeling of terror.

"!"

…..

….

…..

"…_What….was that?"_

Itachi frantically searched around for the source of the terror that gripped his heart. Never before he felt such a thing. It's not scary, it's not frightening, but for some reason this sensation set off all the warning bells inside Itachi. Yes, this is the feeling of pure terror and danger, and the problem is Itachi couldn't see what or who generates such feeling.

Well, maybe it's fortunate for him that he doesn't know what is – or rather, who are the cause of this terror that gripped his heart. Because if he knows, oh, if only he knows, then there's no doubt that it would left him crippled for several days due to the immense headache that it would cause.

"!"

All of a sudden, he has a massive headache which for some reason, the pain reminded him greatly of the headaches caused by a certain group of girls numerous times in the past.

Itachi swayed left and right, and if not the fact that he decided to teleported away from the abandoned church, then he would definitely be noticed by the stray exorcists and fallen angels there. So, here he is, currently lying down on top of a building's roof while clutching his head.

"Ugh…" grunted Itachi while massaging his head and temple at the same time. He doesn't know who or what generates such terror earlier, and now he doesn't know why he has such an incredibly painful headache. Well…if things like karma exist, then maybe this is a karma for him, for being so oblivious to the feelings of many girls, which mostly caused by his disinterest in things like love and romance.

…**.**

"I'm fine" reassured Itachi.

…**..**

"No. I don't know who or what generates this _terror_" said Itachi while shaking his head slightly.

…**..**

"I can handle it myself" Itachi then closes his eyes with displeasure due to the headache.

…**.**

"Yes. Please leave me alone for a while" said Itachi while covering his face with his left hand and starts rubbing his temple.

When he finished talking, Itachi was hit by another wave of headache. He starts to think that he got some illness, possibly flu seeing that he has not rest properly for a while. However, the truth is, his headache was not caused by illness, but rather by some competition that is taking place in the occult research club right now, which he is oblivious to.

So, his headache and the feeling of terror that gripped his heart would continue for the entire day, and he has no choice but to cancelled every single plans he have for the rest of the day due to the fatigue caused by it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

**[Occult research club] **

An hour after the competition was finished; the winner could not be decided due to the interference of the rest of the occult research club. That's right. After only ten minutes, Hyoudou Issei, Toujou Koneko and Kiba Yuuto enter the scene, and this made the two naked girls to halt their activities.

"….."

"…".

"…."

"….".

"….."

They're all uncomfortably looking at each other. Well, with the exception of Issei that is, who starts to have a nosebleed from seeing such a grand display of breasts and eroticism. His eyes went wide that it almost bulged out from his eye sockets. On the other hand, Yuuto deemed it necessary to turned around and gives the girls privacy. Meanwhile Koneko is…..

BAM

Punching Issei who has a very perverted look to the side. The sound of a wall's breaking and a man's wailing could be heard afterwards, but let's ignored those shall we?

"U-um…" Rias tried to speak, but she has no idea what should she says.

"Buchou? Akeno-san? What were you two doing exactly?" asked Yuuto who still has his back on them. Rias look at Akeno for a moment, and then Akeno decides to be the one who explained it.

With that, Akeno explains what the two of them were doing exactly, and why they were doing this. The receptions to this news are varied between Issei, Yuuto and Koneko.

Issei couldn't help but went agape when he heard the reason for the girls' _activities_. He couldn't help but wanting to bang his head to the wall, due to the sheer unfairness of the world. He never thought that such a (un)lucky man truly exist, one that could incite such a grand competition even when he was absent. He really couldn't help but feel jealous, because the man has the attention of both Onee-samas of the school on him.

Yuuto only stifled a giggle, but as the gentleman that he is, when Rias asked that Yuuto passed the uniforms over, he only complied, but with the mirth still plastered on his face.

Koneko on the other hand…she has a pink aura pouring out of her, and one might say that she is annoyed. True enough, she is pouting with annoyance, but due to her figures and cute looks, her pout made her looks adorable instead of scary. Rias and Akeno look at her for a moment, and then they decided to apologize to her. However, instead of forgiving them, Koneko's reply is….

"Next time… I want in…."

Shocked visible on the faces of the other members of the occult research club, because they know Koneko doesn't like anything perverted, and this is obviously made her seems out of character. However, as if she doesn't realize their shocks, she then declared…

"The next one…I will win… Itachi-san…will be mine…" declared Koneko confidently and with a very serious look.

"…."

"…."

Rias and Akeno poured out their auras and intensely glared at each other after they heard the declaration made by Koneko. The auras between the three of them clashes against each other, and this made Yuuto and Issei to go to the side, with Yuuto looking at the spectacle with an agitated smile, while Issei is crying due to the frightening scene and pray for the safety of the man who has to deal with the girls in the future.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

It has been several days since the time when he was attacked by the terror and the sudden headache. Currently, Uchiha Itachi is looking at a house of a certain Gremory's contract holder from the top of a nearby utility pole. He was here, because he was alerted by his crows that a stray exorcists, the most troublesome of them too, has follows a contract holder to his home. Itachi look at the house with a slight frown and then he closed his eyes.

"_I'm too late…"_ thought Itachi bitterly. True, the moment he arrived here, the contract holder has already been killed by the stray exorcist. He then sees who was it that killed the contract holder and then he narrowed his eyes.

"Freed…Sellzen…" muttered Itachi calmly. Even though it was very calm, but there's a certain edge in the way he said that name. It's as if he dislike, no, that's not right, dislike is not quite accurate to put it. Yes, distaste is more accurate way to put it. He looks at the man for a second, but then his attention got diverted when he heard a girl's voice nearby. He looks down and his eyes widen in surprise for seeing Asia Argento in this kind of place. He wanted to act, but as if it there was not enough problems for him, Hyoudou Issei came.

"…."

Itachi became speechless due to the amount of problems that have arises in such a short time. He contemplates things for a bit, but then he decides to just sit back and see how things are going to unfolded.

True enough, soon he saw Issei confront the stray exorcist and although he couldn't quite hear what they said, but from the lips movements, he has an idea what it's all about. He then narrowed his eyes, when Freed seemingly gestured in crazed movements towards Issei and the corpse, and there's only one thing in his mind that could describe the man's personality.

"_Just like…Hidan. No, he is the worse version of Hidan" _thought Itachi. He then averted his eyes back to the scene and saw that Asia has entered the fray. He considers stopping the priest when he tried to kill Issei, but the next moment, a Gremory magic circle appeared. Itachi let out a small relieved sigh upon seeing this, but then he could feel the presence of several fallen angels coming closer. He looks back at the scene, and saw the occult research club cornering Freed. He frowned a bit when he saw Freed insulted his friends, but then he noticed that Freed did that to buy himself some time.

"_What a sly priest… Insulting them so that they will become enraged and won't notice the arrival of the fallen angels…" _deduced Itachi. He then analyzed the fighting patterns of the priest, and noted that his way of fighting would be extremely dangerous, especially in a dense populated area. He has no doubt that this priest would use innocents as a shield, and Itachi correctly deduced that for the priest, as long as the devils were extinguished, then those sacrifices are justified.

Itachi continue to appraise the battle, but then he noted that Rias seems to noticed the arrival of the fallen angels and deem it wise to retreat. Itachi also decide to cover his presence and silently he jumped into the ground and slowly entered a puddle on the road. He noted that Asia was left behind, because she couldn't pass through the Gremory magic circle. However, what worries him is the fact that she was left behind with the priest. But, fortunately the fallen angels came soon enough for her not to be sullied by the priest.

"What's this~? You came waaaaaaay too quick, Raynare-chan~" came the disturbing voice of Freed Sellzen who has a twisted smile on his face right now. Raynare frown when he addressed her like that, but then dismissed it in favor of retrieving Asia.

"R-Raynare-san" stuttered Asia with a slightly frightened look.

"Asia. Are you alright? Now, let's go back. We don't want you to be injured right? After all, you are very important to us…" comforted Raynare with a warm smile. Most people who don't know Raynare would definitely say that Raynare is a kind and gentle girl when they saw this scene. However, for Itachi who is well-versed in the art of deceptions, he could easily saw through that smile and gentle words of hers.

"_So…'Amano Yuma' IS Raynare… What a twisted woman…" _thought Itachi while observing the flying form of Raynare who is currently carrying Asia away back to their hide out. Itachi then looks at Freed who is now ranting for being deprived of his enjoyment and a chance to rape Asia with slightly narrowed eyes. Itachi frown and silently activates his sharingan. He decided to confront the man directly, but then…

BA-DUMP

He feels a hard tug on his chest.

"!"

Itachi quickly clench his chest and gritted his teeth. After a while he let out a tired sigh and starts listening to what the existence inside him has to say.

…**..**

"I'm sorry about that" Itachi apologized with a nod.

…

"Yes. Thank you for stopping me" said Itachi with a small smile.

Itachi averted his attention back to the house, and he noticed that the crazy priest has left. Slowly, he emerged from the puddle and walk into the house. He surveyed the damage done by the 'blessed' bullet (light bullet) to the walls and the surroundings. He lightly touched the holes created by these bullets and noted that the actual damage is the same as an ordinary bullet.

"_It seems…these bullets are only lethal to devils, but has the same effect as an ordinary bullet on other beings" _deduced Itachi as he slowly pick the ashes from inside the holes and hold it on his fingers. Itachi then noticed the dead body of the Gremory contract holder and saw how bad the condition is. He looks at it with a solemn expression, and then he slowly walked towards it.

As he came closer, he noticed that the man's died with his eyes open, most likely as the result of his surprised at the unexpected misfortune that befell him today. Itachi slowly crouched down and bring his right hand to the man's face with the intention to close his eyes. However, before he does that, he muttered something to the man.

"Please forgive me… If only I came a bit earlier….if only I took more precautions….then this would not happened to you…" muttered Itachi with a regretful tone. He slowly closed the man's eyes and gives his last remark.

"Rest in peace…" and with that, the man's eyes were completely closed. Itachi walked away from the man, but then he look at the body once more. However, this time there's a very subtle look of grief on his face, and then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx

**[Park]**

The next day, Itachi is currently observing the third encounter between Hyoudou Issei and Asia Argento. He is currently disguising himself as an elderly man and is currently sitting on one of the benches on the park. He looks at the two teenagers conversing with each other while following their conversations by reading their lips movements.

It was by pure chance that he managed to encounter this scene. Last night, he followed the fallen angels back to their base, in order to keep watch at their activities and the well-being of Asia, but he found out that the security had been tripled. So, he had no choice, but to observed from the distance, as he doesn't want to alert them of his presence. He had no doubt that he could sneaks in successfully, but in this kind of situation, it's better to be safe than sorry (he doesn't want them to change the location of the base, if somehow by chance, they managed to detect him).

He is brought out of his musing when someone approached him. He looks up and saw the face of a certain nun. For some reason, she looks at him with a very worried expression, and he does not know why.

"Ojii-san. Are you alright?" asked Asia with worries in both her face and her voice. Itachi, who is currently disguising himself as an elderly man, look at the girl with a raised eyebrow, but then he decides to play along.

"Ah. Yes. I'm fine young one. You do not have to worry about me" answered Itachi with a very old voice. Asia remains skeptical and the she decides to voice her concerns.

"Really? Are you saying the truth? Because, you look like you were going to pass out just now" said Asia with a frown and some panic in her voice. Itachi couldn't help but letting out a very small sigh at the girl's perceptive eyes on this kind of thing. But then he grew a small warm and gentle smile on his lips, because of the girl's gentle behavior and nature, and slowly he brought up his right hand to Asia's head.

"I am fine young one. I simply got myself immersed in memories, whenever I saw a young couples like the two of you" replied Itachi with a smile. Asia and Issei becomes red for being called a couple, and Itachi couldn't help but letting out another smile when he sees this. Slowly, he brought up his right hand towards Asia's head and then he starts ruffling it.

"A-ah! Ojii-san! Please stop that~" pleaded Asia with a bashful look. However, if one pay attention closely, then the subtle happiness on her face can be seen as clearly as the sun. Issei look at this scene and let out a silly smile, while Itachi continue to ruffle her hair for a few minutes.

Itachi then noticed a presence of a fallen angel coming closer. He recognized this presence. It's the same one as the one from last night. It's the presence of Raynare.

"…." Itachi subtly directed his gaze towards the direction where Raynare's presence comes from, and then he decided to end this little play and sees how things are going to unfolded once again. Slowly, he stands up, and for the two people who didn't notice the way Itachi look at a certain direction, they became confused and worried when they see the look of urgency on the old man's face. Itachi looks at the two teenagers, and gives them a reassuring smile.

"It seems…my old age has shown its effect. I'm sorry, but I need to go, since I've just remember that I promised to meet someone" explained Itachi. He then pet Asia's head once more, but this time, his attention is on Issei. Issei becomes a bit nervous for being stared like that, and for some reason the old man's gaze incites a deep sense of déjà vu, even though he is sure he never met the old man before. Itachi saw the anxious look on the younger man's face, and he gives him a warm smile.

"Young man…" began Itachi slowly.

"Y-Yes!?"

"Make sure…that you take care of her properly, alright? Such a kind girl is hard to come by these days" finished Itachi. Issei look at the old man for a moment, before he gives a nod and a determined look. Itachi smiled when he saw the look on the younger man's face, and then he lift up his hand from Asia's head and starts walking away. However, he looks back at them and leaves his final remarks.

"It's been a pleasure to speak with the two of you. May we meet again one day…" said Itachi with a smile before he turns back and resume his walking.

"Ah…yes! May the Lord be so kind as to let us meet again, Ojii-san…" said Asia with a smile while waving at Itachi.

"Y-yes, Ossan! Let's meet again someday!" said Issei with a silly grin while scratching his head.

Itachi smiled at their replies, and then he walked away from the scene. After he walked quite a distance away from Issei and Asia, he make sure that no one's nearby, and then he quickly disappeared from the spot where he once stood. He quickly reappeared on one of the trees near Issei and Asia's whereabouts, but this time he already cancelled his 'henge no jutsu' and appeared in his true form. The moment he returned there, he saw Asia being cradled by Raynare and Issei looking crestfallen and shocked. He silently listened to their conversation, and then he saw how Raynare seemingly disgusted when she heard that Issei has been transformed into a devil.

Itachi let out a small sigh, and shakes his head in disappointment. He noted that for all their powers and numbers, it seems many fallen angels are so arrogant that they would look down on a devil without second thought. He really feels the need to show them the errors of their ways, but at the same time he feels like leaving this matter to Azazel.

Itachi then saw how Raynare took off with Asia and then he averted his eyes towards Issei. He silently observed the younger man's gesture, facial expression, and most importantly his eyes. Itachi could see that despite receiving such shocking news, the fire in his eyes does not extinguish. No, instead Itachi could see determination on Issei's eyes, and he couldn't help but let out a small smile upon seeing this. He knows what the younger man's going to do, from the fact that he is very familiar with that looks of his. Itachi then closed his eyes when Issei starts running towards the direction of Kuoh academy.

"It seems…no matter what the place is, no matter what the world is…people like you…will always exists….Naruto…" muttered Itachi with a nostalgic smile as he is reminded of a certain blond shinobi once again. He reminisce about his past for a moment, before he opened his eyes and look at the direction of the abandoned church with eyes full of determination.

Itachi pulled out his cellphone from inside his cloak, and then he dialed a certain numbers. These numbers is not any other numbers. These numbers belongs to a certain leader of the fallen angels. These numbers is Azazel's cellphone numbers. Of course, as the Governor General of the fallen angels, Azazel would never gave his numbers to just anyone. However, Itachi has a way of obtaining these numbers although it didn't come with a cheap price.

He brings his cellphone to his right ear, but then he sweat dropped upon hearing the tune.

**Azazel's here~, Azazel's there~, Azazel's everywhere~**

**Gentlemen be afraid of me~. I'll take your women away~ **

**Ladies~ jump into my embrace~. Let me show you the true form of paradise~**

**Aaaahh~. Such cruelty~. What a sin~**

**No matter where I go~, flower comes to me~**

**It truly is a blessing (for me) to be born as a lady killer~**

The song keeps repeating for a while, and in that time, Itachi continues to sweat dropped while staring at his cellphone with a flat stare.

"_So… THIS is why I was warned not to contact Azazel-san through a cellphone, unless it was a truly emergency situation" _thought Itachi while sweat dropping. He then let out an audible sigh and once again brings his cellphone to his ear. He massaged his temple upon hearing that damnable song again and closed his eyes in displeasure. If at least the voice is good, then he could tolerate it, but with the singer being none other than Azazel himself and not to mention with such a disturbing melody, Itachi could feel a headache creeping up to his brain. He took a deep breath and tried to withstand the song until Azazel pick up the phone. However, the song keeps playing up for more than five minutes, and if it was any other person other than Itachi who heard this song, then there's no doubt that they would go crazy, and hunt Azazel down for destroying their mind.

Itachi feels really tired listening to this song, but then the song stopped and a voice of a certain Governor General can be heard.

"Hello? Who is this?" asked Azazel curiously. Itachi sighed when he finally picked up his phone, and decides to identify himself. However, as if fate decides to play him around, his attempt to identify himself is interrupted by Azazel.

"Wait. Don't say it. I know who you are~" said Azazel in a playful tone. Itachi raises his eyebrow upon hearing this, but he opted to stay silent and listen to what the man wants to say. This was a mistake, however, for Azazel's speculation of his identity was….

"You're Mary, right? Yaaa~h. It's been only a day and you already missed me, or was it my 'son' that you missed?" questioned Azazel in a very seductive voice. In a very rare occurrence (or it might actually never happened before in his life), Itachi went agape from hearing such a ridiculous speculations coming from the Governor General of the fallen angels. And as if those were not enough, Azazel continues his verbal assaults on Itachi. "I know we were amazing last night, but you have to know that I'm busy right now~. So…instead of tonight…how about this Saturday? We could spend two days in a row doing such a wi…." Azazel could not finish his sentence, because Itachi has deemed it necessary to interrupt him, lest he would hear something that might disturb his sleeps for days.

"Azazel-san…." Itachi began with a calm voice.

"…" The other end of the line went quiet immediately upon hearing his voice. Itachi wait for a moment for any kind of reply, but when he received none, he tried addressing Azazel once more.

"Azazel-sa…" his attempt to addressed Azazel again was drowned by the elderly man's roar.

"WHO ARE YOU?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY MARY-CHAN?!" yelled Azazel with a furious voice. Itachi couldn't help, but to move his cellphone from his ear quickly, due to the sheer volume of Azazel's voice.

"Aza…"

"HAH! DON'T TELL ME! YOU'RE HER MAN! AM I CORRECT?!" yelled Azazel. Itachi's eyes widen due to what Azazel just said.

"No. I..."

"I KNOW YOU MUST BE ANGRY WITH YOUR WIFE FOR CHEATING ON YOU! BUT IF YOU DARE HURTS HER, THEN EVEN IF YOU ARE HER HUSBAND, YOU WILL TASTE MY WRATH!" declared Azazel. There's only one thing that went through Itachi's mind after hearing this.

"_He…had an affair…with someone else's wife…?" _thought Itachi incredulously. He almost couldn't believe what Azazel just said, but due to his knowledge of certain people with similar personality to this man, he had no choice but to believe it.

Azazel keeps ranting on and on about his supposed 'partner in crime' and yelling to him. Throughout this ordeal of listening to Azazel's ranting, Itachi could only massage his temple due to the migraine caused by the volume of the man's yelling, the ridiculous topic, and most importantly the fact that, in a sense, he is now also Azazel's 'partner in crime' for knowing this secret. But then he decided that enough is enough, and then he took a slow deep breath and interrupt Azazel's ranting with an equally impressive shout.

"AZAZEL-SAN!" shouted Itachi as loud, but also as calm as possible. As he predicted, Azazel's ranting stopped and he went quiet.

"…."

"Please…. Listen to me…." said Itachi as slow as possible in order to make sure that Azazel listen to him this time.

"…This voice…and way of speaking… Is that you...Itachi…?" said Azazel with a voice full of uncertainty. Itachi let out a smile upon hearing his name, and the fact that the man finally recognized his voice.

"Yes… It is me…Azazel-san…" said Itachi with a small smile.

GULP

"…_Hm?" _Itachi couldn't help but wonder whether he misheard that sound or not. A part of his mind speculates that it might be a sound of water in the background; however the rest of his mind couldn't help but recognized that sound as the gulping sound of Azazel. He closed his mouth for a moment and then he opened it to ask Azazel a certain question, but Azazel beats him to it.

"…You…" began Azazel with a very nervous sound.

"Hm?"

"…won't tell…_anyone…._right?" finished Azazel with a voice that practically begged Itachi not to tell anyone about what he just heard.

…..

…..

…

"….."

Silent. There is only an uncomfortable silence coming from Itachi. It's not that he does not want to answer. It's that he does not know which answer that he should give to Azazel. On one part, he wants to tell Azazel the errors of his action and the husband of this _'Mary' _also deserves to know the truth about his wife. However, on another part, he wants to leave their private life alone, as long as they took full responsibilities of their decisions. Not to mentions, he might have to severe his connection with Azazel, if he decides to reveal this secret. Unknown to Itachi however, Azazel's behaviors and perverseness already becomes like some kind of public secret among his close comrades and enemies, and that most of them would be happy if he reveals Azazel's secret to the world, as it would be a fitting punishment for him.

"…." Itachi really doesn't know what to say, and the only thing he could do is to massage his temple, while thinking what kind of problem he has gotten himself into this time. Azazel took his silent as a sign that Itachi would reveal this secret and then he practically begged while kneeling down. Not that Itachi could see what he is doing anyway.

"PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU! JUST DON'T TELL ANYONE! SHEMHAZAI WILL KILL ME IF HE FINDS OUT!" begged Azazel with tears streaming down from his eyes. Not that Itachi knows. Itachi let out a small sigh and continue to massage his temple, while listening to Azazel's plea. After a while, he decides to just ignore the man's plea and go straight to the point.

"Listen...to me…then…" Although Itachi said those words in a very calm manner, but Azazel could feel knifes around his neck and that if he doesn't listen to the younger man, then fate worse than dead would befell him.

"….okay…." replied Azazel with a very low and frightened voice.

Itachi let out a sigh and begin to explain to Azazel about the current circumstances and actions of his subordinates.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So…that's about it…." finished Itachi. He explained to Azazel about the actions of Raynare and her fellow fallen angels, and also the involvement of a considerable number of stray exorcists, especially Freed Sellzen. However, the most important is about their plan to Asia Argento.

"…." Azazel went silent after he heard this revelation, and he began to contemplate about this. Itachi doesn't have all day waiting for Azazel to think things through, so he tried to prompt Azazel to make a decision.

"Azazel-san…" Itachi couldn't say any more words, because Azazel interrupted him.

"Why do you tell me all of this?" interrogated Azazel.

"….."

"With your capabilities…it would be very easy for you to solve this matter on your own. So, why went all the way to contact me?" questioned Azazel. Itachi closed his eyes in contemplation, but then he decides to tell Azazel a small portion of his current circumstances.

"Let's just say that…currently I am shackled and have little leverage to act freely on my own…or else everything would be distorted" answered Itachi enigmatically.

"What do you mean? No, before that, where were you these past two years? The official report said that you were training with Tannin, but there were rumors that you went missing. I've also tried to contact you, but to no avail. So, Itachi, what were you doing?" questioned Azazel with a voice full of curiosity. As a researcher that Azazel is, Itachi's situations are like one massive puzzle and the way Itachi presented his answer is like someone who presents a new jigsaw puzzle to be solved on top of an unsolved puzzle, and he couldn't help but be curious.

"Forgive me…but I'm not allowed to go into details…" finished Itachi with a tone that allows no room for further question.

"I see…" Azazel picked up Itachi's tone, and decided to respect his decision. Itachi gratefully nod at Azazel and decides to move the topic back to the one they were talking about.

"So…Azazel-san…"

"Hm?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"…"

"I've explained the situations to you…but…as their leader…what do you want to do?" questioned Itachi calmly. Azazel thought about this for a moment, and then he gives Itachi his answer.

"I treasured every single comrade that I have as if they are my family. They are my foolish subordinates, but still my beloved subordinates nonetheless …" trailed Azazel.

"…." Itachi decides to just stay silent and listen to the man.

"So…as their leader, it is my duty to punish them if they walked the wrong paths. Especially to ones who had received my orders, yet decides to ignore it for their own selfish gains" declared Azazel with a voice full of convictions.

"…I see…"

"Itachi…I…."

"Say no more… I understand…"

"….."

"I will subdue them and send them all to you…" promised Itachi with a voice full of certainty.

"…Thank you…" said Azazel with a grateful tone.

"What should I do with the stray exorcists?" questioned Itachi.

"Heh… Just give them to the Church. Let that bastard Michael took care of them" answered Azazel who then snickered at the thought of Michael having to deal with so many stray exorcists at once. Itachi could only shake his head at the rivalries between the two leaders of different angel's factions. Well, he has no problem with it as long as it doesn't develop into something dangerous in the future.

"By the way, Itachi…" began Azazel with a perverted tone.

"Hm?" For some reason, Itachi has a bad feeling when he heard that tone, but shoved it away in favor of hearing what Azazel wanted to say.

"You have my permission to 'punish' the females to your heart content~" finished Azazel with a very perverted voice, and if Itachi could see Azazel right now, he has a wide grin plastered to his face.

…

…..

…

"….Huh?" Itachi could not find any logic behind Azazel's words, and thus he could not think of a proper reply to that.

"As I said…you have my permission to 'punish' the females, before you handed them over to me~" repeated Azazel with a perverted look.

"Why should I do that?" questioned Itachi. He is familiar with the art of tortures, but seeing that these fallen angels will receive punishment from Azazel anyway, he could not find any reason for doing that. Of course, he missed the true meaning behind the word 'punish' that Azazel said due to his lack of interest in these kinds of things.

"Gah! You don't want to do it?! What are you?! A saint?" yelled Azazel. Itachi is now truly confused, and then he decided to voice his opinion regarding a certain something.

"If I do that, then isn't it better if I do it to the males too?" questioned Itachi without realizing the impact that his question posed on Azazel.

"…." Azazel became quiet, because of what Itachi just said and he starts to be freaked out. However, to Itachi who couldn't see the man directly, he took the silence as a sign for him to explain his reasoning.

"I mean…males do resist more. So I think it's better if they are punished too" said Itachi in a matter of factly tone. He doesn't realize what kind of problem he has thrown himself into by saying those sentences and without explicitly stated what he had in mind.

"G…"

"?"

"GAAAAAHHH!" screamed Azazel as if he just heard a very horrendous news.

"!"

"Stop it! Don't continue! I had a wrong impression about you! I never thought that you swing that way!" yelled Azazel with shocked and fear visible in his voice.

"….What?" asked Itachi with a confused voice

"As I said! I never thought you swing that way! Even though you don't look like the type who loves BL, but it seems I should not judge the book by its cover!" accused Azazel with a scream.

….

…..

…

"…B…L…?" repeated Itachi incredulously. He doesn't know how this conversation suddenly turns towards him getting accused of swinging that way. So, Itachi massaged his temple while recalling the early part of the conversation. On the other hand, Azazel, keep ranting on and on about 'real man should loves women instead of fellow men' on the other side of the line.

"Azazel-san. Why did you accuse me of…swinging that way?" questioned Itachi who has given up in trying to find the flaw in their conversation.

"Because, you said you want to 'punish' the males! M-A-L-E-S! MALES!" screamed Azazel. "Only females should be allowed to 'punish' the males! If you 'punish' your fellow males, then that shows that you are a follower of the hard gay's path!" declared Azazel with a very disgusted tone. Itachi could only sweat dropped at what he just heard, and he becomes speechless for a moment.

…

….

"…..How come?" questioned Itachi after he regained his bearings. He knew several shinobis in the past who are skilled tormentors, and they were anything but a 'hard gay'.

"How COME?! Can't you see! Only those who followed the path of hard gay wanted to 'punish' a male" screamed Azazel again. Itachi massaged his temple due to the migraine caused by this ridiculous conversation, and he decides to voice his own opinion.

"But, Azazel-san… In situations like war, it's normal to punish the male prisoners for information, and it has nothing to do with what you said. Not to mention, it will become easier for you to deal with them later" explained Itachi with a serious tone. Azazel becomes quiet after he heard Itachi's explanation.

…

…

…

"…Azazel-san?" Itachi doesn't know whether Azazel still there or not, because of his silent and this prompted him to call out to the man once again.

"Itachi…"

"Yes?"

"When you said you want to punish the males….you mean like real punishment?" interrogated Azazel with a shaky voice.

"Is there any other meaning?" questioned Itachi with a raised eyebrow.

SLAP

"…Azazel-san?" Itachi thought he heard a slapping sound, but he doesn't know what is being slapped. In actuality, that was the sound of Azazel slapping his own face due to the magnitude of the misunderstanding that is happening right now. He couldn't help but face palmed when he realized that his 'suggestion' didn't connect to Itachi's mind, and starts to wonder what kind of brain waves the young man have.

"Itachi…you know what? Just forget everything that I've said! I can't believe that a man like you truly exists! Don't you have at least a grain of perverseness in your mind?!" protested Azazel. Itachi only blink twice at what Azazel said, but then he decides to just ignore it lest he has another headache and begins to ask for clarification.

"So…do you want me to punish them or not?" asked Itachi. Azazel let out a really audible sigh, but then his perverted mind kick in once more, and with a grin he decides to rephrase his words.

"No. Just subdue them and send them here. However! Itachi!" began Azazel with a very dramatic voice.

"Yes?" Once more, Itachi has a bad feeling about this, but decides to listen to Azazel out of respect.

"As a reward for fulfilling my selfish desire, I allow you - no, I ORDER you to do whatever you want to the females!" declared Azazel once more; however this time he made sure that Itachi wouldn't misunderstand the meaning.

"….." Itachi became speechless, because of what Azazel just said, however before he could ask Azazel for clarification about what he just said, Azazel has deemed it necessary to hung up as soon as possible.

"Well then, Itachi! I'm counting on you! And make sure you enjoy yourself! HAHAHAHAHA~!" and with that laughter, Azazel closed the connection.

"…." Itachi look at his cellphone with a blank expression, and then he starts rubbing his face and let out a small sigh. He began to wonder what Azazel truly wanted him to do, but his contemplation was cut short when he feels a soft tug on his chest.

…**..**

"You're right… He IS a bad influence to other people"

Itachi then let out another sigh, and check the time. He noted that by now, the occult research club must have encountered those fallen angels and began their battle. He then feels a migraine creeping up to his head from the fact that he forgot about the matter related to Akeno, due to the sheer ridiculousness of the conversations. He rubbed his temple, and then he decides to just go and observe the situation with the occult research club first, before he decide what to do with Akeno.

With that, Itachi creates a magic circle and teleport himself to the abandoned Church.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

**[Abandoned Church]**

Terrible would be an underestimation of the situation. When Itachi arrived here, he saw that the fallen angels and the stray exorcists were being overwhelmed by the few members of the occult research club. He saw how Dohnaseek, a tall female fallen angel, a gothic fallen angel, Freed Sellzen and the rest of their forces were being pushed to the edge. He decides to observe the fight from a nearby tree and then he looks at Rias, Akeno, and Koneko, and assessed the way they fight.

"They've grown stronger…" muttered Itachi with a small smile, but then he has a slight frown when he sees more of the fight.

"_Rias still has her weakness of being incapable to alter the shape of her 'power of destruction', but the output has increased a lot…"_ analyzed Itachi who is looking at the way Rias fire her 'power of destruction' sphere. He then directed his attention towards Akeno.

"_Akeno…she seems more well-versed in elemental magic, but that bad habit of hers is still there…"_ analysed Itachi who saw how Akeno is looking, well, ecstatic due to her sadist personality. He knows how dangerous it is for her to be in that state, if she fights someone who is more skillful, or able to take advantage of her sadistic tendency. He then look at Koneko, and saw how she simply bashes the enemies around.

"_Koneko…she lacks the skills to effectively use her strength and to cover her lack of speed…."_ thought Itachi with a small sigh. From what he saw, the way Koneko fight is that she simply punches any enemy that came straight to her, or throws objects like trees towards her target and although it proves to be effective, but if her enemies could exploit her average move sets, then she would've been defeated easily. He then looks at the sword wielding prince in the distance, and assessed his skills. After a moment, he let out a sigh, and rubbed his temple.

"_Kiba Yuuto... He is the complete opposite of Koneko. Even though he has speed and skills, but he lack the strength to back-up his skills. His attacks are precise and would be deadly to humans, but if he fought someone with the same level of skills, then without doubt, he would be the one to lose since his slashes are light" _though Itachi. He then looks at the way the young man uses his Sacred Gear and speculates that although it allows him to create demonic swords of different attributes from thin air, but in the face of a more skilled swordsman, those things are simply ordinary swords.

Itachi let out a small sigh, knowing that the reason the occult research club could win against these fallen angels and stray exorcists was simply because they were weaker and less skilled than them. He rubbed his temple knowing that, should they encounter enemies of higher calibers than them, then they would be decimated due to their lack of experiences fighting a stronger opponent.

"_No point thinking about this now…." _thought Itachi, before he looks at the scattered forces of the fallen angels. He then decides that it's time to fulfill his promise to Azazel.

He needs to precisely time it. He does not want to raise a suspicion if the occult research club saw that their enemies suddenly disappeared. So, he decides to do it right before they would be killed. That way, Rias and the others would simply think that their enemies were reduced to ashes. He brings up his right hand to his face, and covered his right eye. He then slightly loosened the bandages around his left eye with his left hand. Then he shifted his eyes into his Mangekyo sharingan, and after he timed it, his left eye began to spin rapidly.

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To the fallen angels and stray exorcists, it seems that time has slowing down. They could see the lightning, and the sphere of destruction coming to their direction to eliminate them. However, they could not dodge, because their bodies couldn't follow their train of thinking.

However, right before the attacks hit them; a second before the attacks connect to their bodies and reduced them to ashes, every single one of them could feel something sucking them in. None of them however, could register what was sucking them in, and the only thing that they could remember before they lost their consciousness, was that the world suddenly spin around, and they were pulled into an utter blackness.

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Itachi looks at the spots where the fallen angels' forces once stood with a fatigued eye, and then he adjusted his bandages once more, brings down his right hand from his face and deactivates his Mangekyo sharingan. He has successfully teleport them away, to the intended destinations, and now he would let Azazel and the Church deals with them. He then realized that two people were missing.

"_Freed Sellzen…and…Raynare…weren't among them. Which means…"_ he then shifted his attention to the church and slowly dissipate into his shadow.

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**[Inside abandoned Church]**

Itachi looks from within the shadow, the event that has just transpired with narrowed eyes. His opinion of Raynare has gone straight downhill when she killed Asia and he begins to wonder whether he should save her or not. However, what bugging him is the fact that he could not see the whereabouts of Freed Sellzen. He deduced that the mad priest must have run away before he arrived here. He then shifted his attention back to the spectacle in front of him, and he couldn't help but let out a small smile upon seeing Issei – or rather, his left hand.

"_So…he finally fully awakens it…" _thought Itachi while looking at Issei's Boosted Gear. He speculates that Ddraig does not want to help the young man awaken the Boosted Gear earlier, because he wanted Issei to try and awaken it on his own.

Itachi then saw how Issei overwhelmed Raynare and defeated her easily, before Rias finally enter the scene. However, his attention got diverted when he heard a crazed laughter coming from one of the windows. Everyone presents look at the said window direction, and then they sees someone who is none other than Freed Sellzen. Raynare screamed at him to help her, but then he insisted that Raynare have sex with him should he saved her. Raynare's face contorts into rage, while Freed laugh gleefully. The crazy priest then decides to abandon Raynare, but before that he promised to kill Issei. Itachi closes his eyes, and begins to think about what he should do with the priest. He could not carelessly act, because he knows that things will deviates even further than the original should he chased the priest. After a brief moment of contemplation, he decides to just focus on the matter at hand.

Itachi look at the scene with passive expression, even though it was such an unsightly display of act. Raynare, who is defeated, transformed into her 'human' form, and begged Issei to side with her and kill Rias. Itachi shakes his head slightly while letting out a small sigh. He really does not want to save her, but as a shinobi, he already used to such unpleasurable missions, and to him, this is simply one of those. Not to mention, once he accepted a mission, he always completed it no matter what, even if he is the one who feels pain, and he really does not want to break his promise with Azazel.

So, he intently focusing his left eye at Raynare while closing his right eye, and then he activates his Mangekyo sharingan once more. Issei, who was disgusted with Raynare, indirectly asked Rias to end her life, and Rias only complied. However, the moment before Rias' attack disintegrated her, Raynare got sucked into a mini black hole. Rias, however, remains oblivious to this and simply think that the fallen angel was disintegrated. She then slowly moved to where Asia is when Issei called out to her.

Itachi look at them for a moment, before he let out a small tired sigh. He then focused his Mangekyo sharingan unto himself and teleport himself away to a certain location, to have a little chat with Raynare.

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**[Pocket dimension]**

When Raynare wakes up, she was thinking that she must be in the purgatory, because this place was unlike Heaven or Underworld. This place consists of numerous blocks and poles of different sizes, and she really began to think that this must be what the afterlife for fallen angels looks like. However, her musing was abruptly ended when she heard a man's voice from behind her.

"If you think that this place is the afterlife, then you are sadly mistaken" said a man with a very calm voice. For some reason, Raynare becomes greatly unnerved when she heard that voice, even though it wasn't scary or intimidating. She slowly looks behind her and then she saw a man wearing a black cloak which covers his entire physique.

"Who are you?! What do…" Raynare could not finish her questions, because the man interrupted her.

"If you want to know, why you are here, and why I am doing this…it's because Azazel-san has asked me to save you…" explained the man with a very calm voice. Raynare has a very happy expression on her face, and for once Itachi could see that this is not a fake expression, but rather a genuine one.

"Really? Azazel-sama asked you to save me?" questioned Raynare with a face full of hope. The man closed his eyes, and then he decides to clarified things.

"Not only you, but also all your accomplices, well, all of them with the exception of Freed Sellzen" clarified the man. Raynare's face contorted into rage once more when she heard the name of that priest.

"That bastard… How dare he treated me and abandoned me like that… he shall pay…" hissed Raynare with a voice full of venom. The man decides that he has no time to listen to Raynare's ranting and he looks at her in the eyes. Raynare became perplexed upon seeing the man's face which is covered in bandages, with many incomprehensible words inscribed to it. She feels like she has seen those words before, but she couldn't quite remember it. Her musing however, was interrupted when she saw that the man's eyes slowly change into red with three little tomoe in it from its original black colour.

"Let me clarify things for you… You are here…because I need to know about something, and you will tell me whether you want to or not…" threaten the man. Raynare was brought out of her shock by the man's words, and then she looks at him with an annoyed face.

"What makes you think you could do anything to me? If Azazel-sama knows you did something to me…" trailed Raynare with a smug smile. The man looks at her for a moment, but then….

"Heh…" he let out a small laugh.

"What's so funny?!" shouted Raynare with a face full of rage. The man decides to explain the truth to her, since he saw little point in keeping it from her.

"Unfortunately for you…Azazel-san gave me his consent to do whatever I want with you…" explained the man with a very cold voice.

"!" Raynare gasped due to what the man just said.

"So…tell me… Who exactly is the one being cornered here?" asked the man in a very calm voice. Although it was a question, but for Raynare, the way the man asked that question, made it sounds more like a statement of fact.

"Khhh!" Raynare gritted her teeth in annoyance, but then she decides to use the man. She let out a seductive smile towards the man and begins her 'persuasion'.

"As someone who belongs to the same faction… Shouldn't we be more, at peace with each other…? Why don't you asked that questions of yours while helping me eradicates some lowly devils~?" Raynare persuaded in a very seductive voice. The man looks at her with a passive gaze, and then he shakes his head.

"It seems…you've mistaken two things…" said the man with disappointment thick in his voice

"What!?" screamed Raynare with a surprise look.

"First… I don't belong to the Grigori…and the reason why I saved you is not because you're a fallen angel… It's because a friend of mine asked me to save his foolish subordinates…" explained the man with his eyes closed, while Raynare look at the man with a baffled look.

"Second… Those lowly devils…" trailed the man while slowly opening his eyes.

"…are also my friends…" finished the man with a very cold gaze, which incites fear upon Raynare. This is to be expected since Raynare could feel the man's cold rage, and every parts of her body screamed at her to run away. However, as if he could read what is in her mind, the man suddenly grabbed her neck, and pinned her down.

"Gah!" Raynare tried to remove the man's hand from her neck and kick him away, but before she could do that, the man forced her to look at him in the eyes, and slowly she falls unconscious. However, before she lost her consciousness, Raynare could hear the man's voice clearly, and he declared something that would forever haunt Raynare.

"You will tell me how and from whom you obtained the information regarding the Twilight Healing inside Asia Argento. In addition, I shall make you experienced the memories of your victims, so that you would think twice before you do something foolish like this again…" explained the man who then sent Raynare away to the illusion world.

For the next twenty minutes or so, the screaming voice of Raynare could be heard echoing throughout this place. It sounds like she is forced to experience something that is truly horrendous, but has no way of escaping it.

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**[Kuoh Academy – Occult research club]**

Currently in the occult research club, a small party is occurring. This party is to celebrate the new addition to Rias' peerage who is none other than Asia Argento, and their recent success. Although, it was called a party, it's simply a simple welcoming party. However, this warm welcome greatly touched Asia's heart and she begins to feel grateful for being turned into a devil. Rias and the others, especially Issei, look at Asia with a warm expression, and smiles decorates their lips, even Koneko has an adorable smile on her face. Asia then did something that surprises everyone's present.

HUG

She suddenly hugged Issei and began to cry on his chest while letting out words of gratitude. Issei, who looks happy from being hugged by a beautiful and adorable girl, do the one thing that he always wanted to do to a girl. He hugged her back.

Rias, upon seeing the closeness of her two new servants, let out an amused giggle, and she could only think how nice it is if she could also be that close, or even closer with a certain someone. She looks outside the window, and stare at the full moon with a gaze full of longing. She then brought up her hands to her chest and starts clutching her chest. After a moment, she moves up her right hand and then…

POKE

She poked her own forehead. All of a sudden her depression was gone, and she turns her attention back to the party with a cheerful expression. However, her feeling when she saw the moon was the complete opposite of the party's mood, and even now she still has that feeling when she thought about him.

"_Itachi…I want to see you"_

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As the celebration is going on, the occult research club does not notice the pair of eyes that observed them from outside their building. Itachi let out a small smile when he saw this celebration, but then he immediately directed his attention to the moon. He begins to contemplate about the recent events, and he slightly narrowed his eyes.

"_Raynare knows nothing about the one who spread the information regarding Asia Argento in the Underworld…"_ thought Itachi. He intend to find out about the person who was responsible for spreading the information about Asia Argento to Raynare and her fellow fallen angels, but then he realized it won't be that easy to find a name. Itachi let out a small sigh, and then he directed his attention to his touch screen device which currently displayed the results of his recent actions.

**DEVIATIONS RATE INCREASED TO 28% **

**PLANS 'F7'AND 'R4' ABORTED AS THE RESULT **

**FURTHER DIRECT INTERVENTION IS NOT SUGGESTED **

Itachi frowned a bit when he saw the report, and then he closed the program and stored his device away. He looks at the moon once more and begins to ponder about something.

"_Should I contact Professor?" _pondered Itachi. However, his moment of musing was interrupted when he feels a soft tug from within. Itachi let out a small sigh, and then he began to addressed the existence inside him.

"Is there something you need?" asked Itachi.

…**.**

"No. I remember you've told me that this will be the results…and I did aware of the consequences" answered Itachi.

…**.**

"Does it matter?" asked Itachi.

…**..**

"Even though these plans were calculated every day, but numbers are simply numbers…and the world does not revolve around it…." Itachi explained while slowly closing his eyes.

…

"It doesn't matter. Its people's choices that moves the world…no matter how small or insignificant it may be…" answered Itachi with a tone full of certainty.

…**..**

"You should already know why I ignored some of those calculations….Whether it calculates that my actions would result in my own destruction, or whether it calculates that I should sacrificed my life once more…in the end what truly matters to me is that one goal is fulfilled…" said Itachi with a warm and gentle smile on his lips.

…**.**

"Yes… So that they would not be toyed by 'It' any longer, you included of course" said Itachi with a smile.

…

"….All of it is for my friends…." simplified Itachi while looking at direction the occult research club and then the student council room with a small smile on his lips.

Itachi then turns away from the direction of Kuoh academy and starts heading towards the direction of the town. He turned his head around to look at the occult research club once more, but this time he could see Rias looking out of the window and gazing at the moon. He stopped for a moment to stare at her, but then he has a warm smile on his lips and a gentle expression on his face, before he suddenly disappeared from the spot where he once stood.

**AAAAAANNNDDDDD Finish chapter 8! Yeah guys, I'll try regained the drive that I had few weeks ago. I think this chapter is my longest yet, and I believe that as the story goes, each chapter would become slightly longer than the previous one. By the way guys, I want to ask certain questions.**

**1. Should I give Kuroka to Itachi or Issei? Or some other person (Vali, for example)?**

**2. Should I make Tsubaki fall in love with Itachi or Kiba? (Seriously, after I re-read all the novels up to vol. 13, I'm 99% convinced that Kiba is a 'BL' materials, similar to Gasper, especially when he transformed into a girl)**

**3. Should I make Ravel becomes part of Issei's harem or fall in love with Itachi?**

**That's all for now. If I need more suggestions, I shall ask again. In the meantime, please gives your suggestions for the questions above. And as usual….**

**RATES AND REVIEWS FOLKS!**


	9. Reunion - part 1

**Alright guys. Sorry that it took so long. Thank you for the suggestions and reviews. And yes, as one of the reviewers suspected, I do have the formulas for all possible scenarios. I simply want to know your preferences. As it is, the only definite one is Kuroka (I'll give her to Itachi). Tsubaki, I'll make her neutral for the meantime, and Ravel, well you just have to read the next chapters. By the way, it's a bit late but Merry Christmas and happy New Year 2013. **

**I have an announcement on the bottom, but for now enjoy this new chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 9

**Reunion - part 1 (Believe that he will return)**

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**[Kuoh academy – Occult research club]**

Rias Gremory has been restless this entire week. She would walks back and forth in the club room while seemingly contemplating about something. She did not give any replies to other students who approached her; she didn't even seem to notice their presence. She would grip her head as if she seemingly has an incurable headache, and she also has a pained expression while doing this. Not to mention that she would occasionally poke her forehead with a face full of melancholy, as if she is deeply saddened by something or, perhaps _someone._

Unfortunately, her mood also influenced her peerage's mood. And they couldn't help, but feel and look at her with worries plastered on their face. After they look at each other with a worried face and silently agreed with each other, Akeno decided to be the one to ask Rias about the thing that is bothering her.

"Buchou? Is there something that bothering you?" asked Akeno with her usual smile. Rias got pulled out from her dilemma by Akeno's question and then she looks up to her friend. She then raised her eyebrows in wonder when she sees that her peerage is looking at her with worried faces, and some, especially the former nun and the newest addition to her peerage, are fidgeting with nervousness. She looks at each of them with confusion, because they seem to be concerned with her, but she doesn't know what made them looks like this.

"Umm… What do you mean?" asked Rias with a strained smile. Akeno frown slightly upon seeing this, because she knows that there must be something that has been bothering Rias greatly, if she shows that kind of smile.

"I mean… is there something that you want to share with us? Something that has been weighing in your mind?" asked Akeno while gesturing to the rest of the occult research club. Rias look at her peerage again and then she let out an audible sigh, while slowly massaging her temple.

"It's nothing really… It's just…there are lots of things that need my full attentions lately…and its tire my mind thinking about those" explained Rias while waving her hand as a gesture for them to not be worried about her.

"Liar…." came the quiet voice of Koneko. Rias became surprised at Koneko's accusation; while on the other hand, Akeno narrowed her eyes again. Meanwhile Issei and Asia looks at Koneko with a confused expression, while Kiba look at his 'King' with concern on his face.

For Rias, Koneko's word feels like a sharp knife that pierces her heart, because it completely hit the mark. Her lips pursed into a line and she tried to rebuke Koneko's word, but then she realized she doesn't know what to say. Akeno took this chance to pressed Rias about this matter.

"Buchou. Please tell us… What is it that is really in your mind…" pressed Akeno, however this time there is no smile whatsoever on her face, bit instead a truly serious face. Rias becomes a bit intimidated by Akeno. And not only Rias, everyone presents are intimidated by Akeno. Rias gulped down her nervous spit and decides to be honest to her friend.

"It's….because of '_That'_…" trailed Rias with a saddened face. Realization dawned upon Akeno, Koneko and Kiba, however to the new members of her peerage who are none other than Issei and Asia; they have no idea what she was talking about.

"A-ano…Buchou-san? What are you talking about?" inquired the clueless Asia. Rias look at Asia for a moment, before she opened her mouth. However, Akeno deemed it necessary to interrupt Rias attempt to explain her predicaments.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. Don't worry Asia-chan. Our Buchou simply have problems with her love life~" explained Akeno with mirth on her face. However, in contrary to her mirthful expression, truthfully Akeno is frowning in the inside. She realized the graveness of her friend's situation, and wish for nothing else, but for _someone _to save her.

"L-love life?" exclaimed Asia with a blush, while on the other hand Issei became shock upon hearing this. However, Rias, instead of blushing or embarrassed, she became further saddened upon hearing her friend's explanation.

"B-Buchou-san! I don't know that Buchou-san already has a lover!" cried Asia with an embarrass look. Rias look at the nun turned devil with melancholic eyes, and then she shakes her head.

"No. Not a lover… At least…not yet…" confessed Rias with a small sad smile. Asia look at her while tilting her head in confusion, and one could even see question marks hovering above her head. Issei on the other hand, became crestfallen and slightly depressed after Rias' confession.

Akeno and Koneko who are usually become annoyed upon hearing Rias talks about Itachi like he belongs to her, could not help but to also be depressed slightly not unlike Issei. However, their reason for depression is completely different than Issei's, which is because they know what fate would befall their 'King' soon. Rias decides that she has enough of this kind of mood and then tried to shift the conversation away.

"Alright! That's enough!" clapped Rias with a fake smile. "It's not something that is needed to be concerned about by any of you. Instead of dilly dallying here, why don't you all go back to your training? Akeno, please continue to watch over Issei's and Asia's trainings, okay? I need to go somewhere for a while" and with that, Rias stood up from her chair and began to walk out of the room.

"Ah! Ri-Buchou!" Akeno called out to Rias once again, but Rias only looks back while putting her index finger on her lips while closing one of her eyes, the usual gesture of 'be quiet'. Akeno reluctantly hold back her attempt to stop Rias from leaving and instead gives her a nod. Rias smiles at her friend, and then she leaves the room.

After Rias leaves the room, her newest servants' starts talking to each other about their master. Issei then mustered the courage to ask Akeno about this seemingly sensitive situation.

"U-umm…Akeno-san? What exactly has been bothering Buchou?" Akeno look at Issei upon hearing that question, but then she let out a small sigh upon seeing the clueless faces of her juniors. She then began to think of how to explain this matter to both of them and decides to explain it as slowly as possible, so that they could register what they're going to hear.

"Well…the truth is…Issei-kun…Asia-chan…" Akeno began to trail off while Issei and Asia look at her with faces full of curiosity and expectation. Kiba only shakes his head slightly upon seeing this, while Koneko remains passive as usual.

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Rias walks down the hallways of Kuoh academy with haste. Her bangs covered her face, but if someone could look at her face now, it looks as if she had been crying. Her eyes looks wear, and there are faint trails of tears on her face. Rias rubbed her face, and then her usual expression returns. She planned to go back to the club room, but then her attention got diverted by a voice of one of her old friends.

"That's one rare look…" said a calm voice from the top of the stairs. Rias looks up and then she sees a short-haired girl with glasses on her face who is leaning on to the wall and has her eyes closed in contemplation.

"Sona…" called Rias to her friend/rival with a small smile. Sona slowly opened her eyes, and then she stared at Rias intensely. Rias stares back at her rival, but then Sona let out a small sigh.

"I thought you said that you will not cry again…" Sona pointed at Rias while declaring those words. Rias became visibly surprised and then she denied Sona's accusation.

"I-I didn't cry… It's simply dust that entered my eyes…" denied Rias with a fake smirk. However, her smirk faltered when she saw that Sona has a knowing smile on her lips. Sona then slowly walks down and then their eyes meet directly.

"…"

"…."

They both continues to stares into each other's eyes, but then Sona let out a small sigh and adjusted her glasses with her right hand.

"Rias…you know that 'he' would not like to see you holding up your frustration like this" Rias eyes widen when she heard Sona's own way of consoling her and then she starts to became depressed. Sona paused for a moment, and then she shakes her head and decides to scold Rias.

"Really now… Is my rival truly this pathetic? I don't remember you being so gloomy like this… It seems like you need to remember your standing…" Sona's words brought Rias out of her depression and then she sent her rival a fierce glare.

"Sona… I appreciate your words, but don't you think you are the one who should remember your place…?" And with that sparks flies as the result of the clash between the two friends/rivals intense glares.

Both of them continues to locked eyes for several minutes, before Sona brought up her left hand to her forehead and begins to gently rub it. Rias raises an eyebrow at her friend's gesture, while Sona continue to rub her own forehead.

"Rias…"

"What?"

"Why do you try so hard to solve this matter on your own?" interrogated Sona with a solemn look. Rias became visibly shocked upon hearing her friend's question due to the accuracy of it, and then she began to frown. Rias contemplate about this for a moment, but then she let out a small sigh and decides to confirm things with Sona.

"How did you know that I intend to solve this myself?" inquired Rias with a slight tilt of her head.

"It's written all over your face…"

"Wha-…."

"Please, Rias. If one spent as much time with you as I do, anyone could see it clearly" explained Sona while adjusting her glasses again.

"…."

"That being said… I think you should reconsider your current plan…" said Sona with a glare.

"….."

"Surely you remember about what he always said…" Rias look down when Sona reminded her about Itachi's words, and she tries to remember about what he always said to her and all his friends.

"_Rias… Never try to accomplish everything on your own…otherwise you are bound to fail…"_

"_Always remember…that you have friends that will support you…"_

"_Never think that you have to bear your responsibilities alone…for you are not alone, Rias…"_

Rias clutch her chest as she reminisce Itachi's words. Slowly, a smile creeps up to her lips and then all her depressions, all her negative thoughts are gone, and replaced by her usual confident look. Sona has a small smile when she sees that Rias has finally returns to her usual confident self.

"Yes. Of course I remember. How could I ever forget about anything that he said to me?" said Rias with a smug smile and a voice full of pride. For some reason, Sona became annoyed upon hearing Rias' words and tone. So, she decides to taunt Rias, simply for the sake of seeing her angry.

"Hm~. I see… However, didn't you forget about it just now?" questioned Sona with a matter of factly tone and a smirk.

"Ugh!" Rias gasped when she heard Sona's question.

"In fact… If it wasn't for me…then you surely wouldn't remember it…" Sona added with a smug smile on her lips. Rias pursed her lips at her rival's words, and send her a very intense glare. Sona ignored Rias' glare and continue her taunting.

"If that's the case…then don't you think that you're unfit for him? After all…" Sona's taunting was cut when Rias decided that enough is enough and she yelled at her.

"SONA!" snapped Rias with so much rage on her voice and her aura starts to pour out.

Sona is taken aback by Rias' yelling, however she quickly regains her bearing and then she glared fiercely at her rival. Both girls are now pouring out their aura like crazy, and the grounds around them starts to crack from the pressure of their auras. Even the students around the school could feel the pressure that both High-class devils excluded from their bodies. The glaring contest continues for a whole then minutes, before Rias and Sona let out a heavy sigh at the same time and then they let their auras subside.

"This is stupid…" muttered Rias with another heavy sigh.

"Agreed…" Sona also let out another heavy sigh and starts shaking her head while rubbing her forehead.

"I can't believe I lost my cool like that…." complained Rias with disbelieve. She then hugs stomach and let out a tired sigh.

"Well... You are always emotional whatever the matter is if it's something that involves Itachi…" said Sona with a shrug. Rias becomes embarrassed at Sona's words, but then she grew a small sad smile.

"Hey…Sona?"

"What?"

"Why do you think that he hasn't come back?" Rias asked her friend/rival with a low volume and sad eyes.

"….."

"This past two years…there was not a single news from him… I-WE tried to contact him, but none reach him… I've even asked Onii-sama about his whereabouts, but for some reason Onii-sama didn't want to disclose any information about it. He always said that Itachi is training with Tannin-sama, but I wonder whether that really is the case…"

"…."

Sona remains silent and decides to just listen to her friend's venting while contemplating about this matter herself. She herself had tried to contact Itachi many times before, but to no avail. She tried visiting the place where Itachi was said to spent his time training, but for some reason the dragons there did not allows her to enter. When she asked for the reason, they simply shrug and said that it was Tannin's order to prevent anyone who wishes to meet Uchiha Itachi from entering the canyon. She could not help, but think how ridiculous and suspicious that order sounds, however before she could voice her protest, one of the dragons there explained that the gravity of Tannin's training was so great that one should not be disturbed at all cost. She could accept that reasoning, at least for the moment.

However, her suspicion grew once more when she overheard her older sister's ranting. Yes, it was just a coincident, but that one coincident led her to believe that Itachi was not in the Dragon Canyon in the first place. She overheard Serafall's ranting about how she was not granted permission to enter the Dragon's canyon, and how 'Sirzechs-chan' did not want to tell her about the condition of 'It-tan'. From Serafall's ranting, Sona managed to creates some form of connection and this made Sona suspicious of Tannin and Sirzechs. She speculated that they are hiding something from them; something about Itachi that they don't want people to know about, even if that person is another Satan. Her speculations grew even further when she heard about those rumors.

Yes. This past two years there were rumors about Itachi flying around in the Underworld. The contents of those rumors said that Itachi has gone missing after a huge explosion occurred in the Underworld. Another version said that Itachi has gone missing after fighting an unknown enemy who threaten the peace in the Underworld. And those were not the only ones. There is even a rumor that stated that Itachi has sacrificed his life and die, either from fighting the enemy or from the explosion. Of course, she did not buy any of those rumors, after all rumors are, well, _rumors._ Not to mention that she could not find any evidence for any of these rumors to be true. Nevertheless, it still provides her with a new basis regarding Itachi's condition.

However, what truly frustrated Sona were not those baseless rumors, but rather her inability to discern just who it was that spread these rumors in the first place. She did not care why the person spread these kinds of rumors, but the fact remains, whoever that person is, he definitely knows about Itachi, and perhaps also about his current condition. She tried to locate the spreader by collecting all these rumors, analyzed the pattern of its spreads and then pin-pointed the origin. But then she found out one fact that was truly incomprehensible – one fact that should be impossible.

All those rumors did not originate from one source nor did it seemingly have any source at all. No, all those rumors appeared in the Underworld in many different locations at the _exact_ same time. She herself almost couldn't believe it if not for the fact that were presented to her from her research and the civilians there. In addition, what greatly confused her was that none of the people who lived in those locations knew or witnessed anyone that spread those rumors. In fact, they said that those rumors were simply there at that time, they even admitted that it's like their minds created those rumors, even though they had no idea who Uchiha Itachi was and never heard nor seen him at all. And that was another weird part; all of them focus only on a single subject: Itachi. Whether the rumors said that he died or went missing, the main subject was still Itachi.

Sona theorized that the suspect must have used some kind of wide-spread mind control technique. It's the only thing that she could think of, even though the idea of it was very ridiculous. Since in the case of mind control techniques, the farther the victims are from the source, the weaker the control over their minds are. Not to mention, if her theory was proven correct, then the suspect must be extremely powerful, since he could cover almost the entire Underworld with his technique, with the exception being the territory held by the dragons. From that theory, she managed to narrow down the possible suspects. It would need at least a power in a level of a god to accomplish such feats, so she knew that her sister and the rest of the Satans could not accomplish that. No, even if they could, they would not do such a thing. She knew them very well, and her sister would never even think of spreading such rumors about her friends.

She really thought that one of the gods must be responsible for this; however a question then appeared in her mind.

How did he know about Itachi in the first place?

That question only served as a catalyst for more questions to appear inside Sona's mind.

For what reason did the suspect spread those rumors?

Why focus only on Itachi?

What would he gain from it?

Is there some kind of hidden goal?

Those were some of the questions that popped up inside Sona's mind. As questions after questions keeps popping out, Sona finally knows how Itachi's feel when he has to deal with them.

Yes. She experienced migraines and headaches that were similar to the ones that Itachi had. However, her headaches did not stem from the daily madness like Itachi's, but rather from the fact that she could not solved anything that might, in some way, help the person whom she shared a promise to become her _'Partner'_ in the future. For the first time, she felt depressed due to her own uselessness; however that didn't last long since Sona knew that the last thing that Itachi would like to is for his friends to become sad because of him. Unfortunately, Rias and her peerage did not share her realization.

Sona continue to be in deep thought, before Rias' voice brought her out of her musing.

"Sona… Did you hear what I said?" asked Rias with a glare. Sona blink twice upon hearing Rias' voice. She then directed her attention at Rias with a blank voice, and then she felt a tinge of embarrassment.

It seems she has spent whole ten minutes or more reminiscing about those things, and somehow she has become truly absorbed in her thought that she didn't notice Rias who keeps talking to her. Sona look at Rias' annoyed face, before she let out a small cough, all the while with a slight blush on her face.

"I'm sorry Rias. What did you say?" asked Sona still with that slight blush on her face. Rias became more annoyed, but then she let out a sigh and repeats what she said again.

"As I said… Do you think that…you know…Itachi has abandoned us…?" asked Rias with fear thick in her voice. She does not want to think about it, but Rias couldn't help but speculates such thing due to Itachi's complete absent from her life these two years. Sona who heard her friend's words slowly narrowed her eyes.

"Rias…." began Sona with a very cold voice. Rias slowly looks at her friend and then she froze when Sona's gaze falls upon her. This is to be expected, since right now Sona has a very icy gaze which coldness could even match Itachi's stern gaze when he was truly upset. The temperature around them is even affected by it and slowly it decrease to zero. Rias shuddered as she looks at Sona in the eyes, while Sona is still intensely focusing her gaze on Rias. Rias feels a cold sweat running on her back and after she gulped down her spit, she tried to speak, but Sona beats her to it.

"Rias… Do you seriously think that way?" asked Sona with an even colder voice. Rias couldn't help but feels slightly frightened, because in a way her rival really reminds her of Itachi's angry form.

"Do you seriously think that he would abandon us?" Sona asked once more, however there was a tinge of sadness in her voice this time. Rias caught the subtle sadness in Sona's voice and then she steeled herself once more.

"No" replied Rias with so much convictions in her voice.

"…."

"Itachi might not be here, but I know he is not here because of a reason. After all, he never did something without a reason" explained Rias with a small smile. Sona's icy expression grew warmer, and then slowly a small smile also formed on her lips.

"Besides…he made that promise with me. He promised that he will come and attend Kuoh with me, and I know for sure that he would never break his promises" said Rias with a smile while gently clutching her chest due to the warm feeling that she has from remembering that promise. Sona look at her friend/rival for a moment as if seemingly appraising her, but then she let out a sigh while smiling.

"Well…then you should have no reason to think that he abandoned us right?"

"Yes… You're right. I'm sorry Sona" Rias bowed her head slightly with a rare show of humility from her usual dignified self. Meanwhile, Sona was taken aback and became embarrassed, because Rias never bowed her head to her like this before.

"I-it's fine. More importantly, what are you going to do with your engagement?" questioned Sona while stuttering. Rias look at her with her usual confident smile, and then she declared her intention.

"Simple. I will challenge Raiser to a rating game" replied Rias without hesitation. Sona raised her eyebrows at Rias' declaration.

"Rating game? Rias…I know by challenging him to a rating game you could cancelled your engagement…but that's only if you win" stated Sona with a matter of factly tone.

"I know" confirmed Rias simply with a smile on her face.

"Surely you realized what kind of opponent Raiser is"

"Of course" again Rias replied simply.

"Do you think that you could win?" asked Sona. She knew very well the strength of Rias' peerage before they have the new additions which are Issei and Asia. However, in her opinion, even with the addition of her new members, her peerage's current strength would not be enough to win against Raiser's. Rias closed her eyes and then she immediately gave her answer.

"It's not that 'I think I could win', it's that I must win" explained Rias with her eyes still closed. Sona sigh at Rias' answer, but then she decided to confirm something.

"Will you do this alone?" asked Sona with narrowed eyes. Rias slowly opened her eyes, and then she shakes her head.

"No. I will do this together with my dear servants" answered Rias with a smile. Sona let out a relieved sigh that Rias finally decides not to do things alone. She looks at Rias with her usual prideful expression and then she pointed a finger at her.

"Well, I expect you not to lose then. After all my reputation will also crumbling down if my main rival lost to a man like Raiser" declared Sona with a smug smile. Rias merely gives her rival an equally prideful smile, before she gives her a nod as a confirmation.

"Then it will be best if I return to the club room now. After all, I need to explain the situations to my newest servants" and with that Rias gave Sona a slight wave, and then she departed to her club room. Sona look at the figure of Rias who is now becomes more farther before she turns around and starts heading back to the student council room. As she walks towards the student council room, a curious thought popped up in her mind.

"_Itachi… In the case that Rias lost against Raiser…will you come and save her?" _thought Sona curiously, but then she became annoyed with herself, because she couldn't get Rias' predicaments out of her minds, and although a part of her wishes that Itachi would come and save Rias, but a part of her also wishes that if that happens, she wish she was the one in Rias' position. To put it simply, her 'tsundere-ism' is at the maximum right now.

Sona continue to mumble even when she already entered the student council room, all the while unaware of the pair of eyes that have been watching her and Rias since the beginning of their conversations.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

The owner of the eyes has a small smile as he looks at Rias and Sona from the distance. The owner, who is none other than Itachi has been observing them and their conversations secretly for a while now. It's not because he is a stalker mind you. He just wanted to check whether Rias is alright or not, with her engagement will soon come. Even though he could – _should _not interfere with their lives any more than necessary, but that doesn't mean that he was not allowed to be worried for them.

Itachi look at Rias' figure with a slight relieve in his eyes, because she finally remembers not to do everything alone, lest she might fail miserably. He then shifted his eyes towards Sona who is currently opening the door to the student council room, and if one could see his face right now, Itachi has an impressed look on his face. It's only natural; after all, Sona had exceeded his expectations. He expected her to become far more intelligent than the last time they met, however the display of maturity and the way she was able to brought Rias out of her depression told him a lot about the bespectacled girl's growth in the past two years.

"That Sona... She sure has matured…" mumbled Itachi with a smile. Itachi then shifted his attention to the direction of the occult research club building, and then he looks back at the student council room, before directing his gaze back to the occult research club.

"_As I thought…the ones that I need to worry about are those people. Sona is far more capable of taking care of herself than them…"_ thought Itachi to himself as he is now standing on top of a tree that is just outside the occult research club's building. He pulled out his iPad from inside his cloak and look at the progress of the plans.

INTEREFERENCE OF UNION BETWEEN _CRIMSON _AND _PHOENIX_

STATUS – In Progress

PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS = 32.13% - Errors and Unforeseen Situations Included -

Itachi frown as he looks at the predicted result of the rating game. He sighed a bit and then he reviews the result of his actions two weeks ago.

**DEVIATIONS RATE INCREASED TO 28%**

**FURTHER DIRECT INTERVENTION IS NOT SUGGESTED**

He looks at it for a moment before a sound of a commotion from inside the occult research club's building caught his attention. He turn his head to his right slightly, and he could see through the window that Rias is seemingly backed into the corner by Akeno, Koneko, Asia and Issei. Kiba, on the other hand, is seemingly content to stay out of the commotion. Rias looks flustered for a second when Akeno seems to ask her a question, and though Itachi could not hear what she said, but he had a guess regarding what Akeno might be asking.

"….You…..doing….alone…" muttered Itachi as he reads Akeno's lips movement. An amused smile appears on his lips as he finally understands what is going on. Akeno has taken the responsibility to reprimand Rias for her rash decision to tackle the matter alone. Being backed to the corner by her peerage, Rias grew frustrated and yells at them that it was her decision and as their master, they have no right to criticized it. Her yelling was so loud that Itachi could practically hear everything, and he sweat dropped at his friend's behavior.

"She…is already this old…but that childishness of her doesn't change even one bit…" muttered Itachi with a sweat drop. However, soon his opinion is changed when Rias suddenly bowed at them and seemingly apologized for her mistaken decision, and her earlier outburst. Itachi sighed a bit, but then he looks at Rias with a small hint of pride.

"I take back my earlier comment… It seems that you have indeed grown…Rias" praised Itachi with a very small voice. He looks at the chaos inside the occult research club once again with a warm gaze, and although a part of him does not wish to be a part of that 'chaos' (because he knows what the 'consequences' are), but a small part of him wishes to join his friends. However, he was brought out of his musing when he feels a very soft and gentle tug from within him. Itachi only blinks twice, because he never felt that kind of sensation before.

"That was new…." muttered Itachi with a slight curiosity.

…**.**

"I see… Thank you for your consideration…but it was unnecessary" replied Itachi with a grateful tone.

…**.**

"Heh…" Itachi simply laughed at the remarks of the existence inside him. He smiles for a bit before his eyes turns serious.

"Can I ask you a question…?" inquired Itachi with a serious tone. However, there is a very subtle hint of urgency in his voice.

…**.**

"Do you think…we really made the right decisions…?" questioned Itachi as he looks at the arguing forms of his friends again.

…**.**

"No… I know full well the gravity of the situations here…" replied Itachi passively.

…**.**

"It's just… Not taking any actions to help my friends when they are in troubles…does not sit well in some ways for me…." answered Itachi with a slight frown.

…**.**

"I know we are trying to return fate to its proper course…..however…."

…**.**

"As I said… Did we really make the right decisions….?" questioned Itachi.

…**.**

"I know Professor specifically told me – _us,_ not to interact with any of them anymore, but…just like with Azazel-san… I simply could not sit idly when my friends are in trouble. In fact, I think I'm almost at my limit now" explained Itachi as he clenched his fists.

…**..**

"Even if we returned fate to its proper course, there's no guarantee that 'It' won't stop toying around with this world…." speculated Itachi.

…**...**

"You should know better… After all, you were among the firsts…." Itachi's sentence was abruptly stopped when he feels a heavy pressure in his chest. He looks at it passively, and then he simply shakes his head with disapproval at the attitude of the thing inside him. He opens his mouth to speak once more, but it beats him to it.

…**..**

"My suggestion…?"

…

"I have none… I'm simply thinking….since they are also the victims here…. Shouldn't they have the right to know about the truth?" asked Itachi in a matter of factly tone.

…

"It's not an excuse to meet them again…." explained Itachi with a tired voice.

…**..**

"…I once made grave mistakes of concealing the truth, and tried to do everything alone…and the results were unpleasant …" began Itachi as he recalls the mistakes that he made in his past life.

…**..**

"I do not want the same thing to happen twice…" finished Itachi with a voice and eyes full of resolves.

….

…

…

"…_.No replies…?" _wondered Itachi. This is to be expected, since the thing inside him always leaves some kind of remark, whether it's serious, sarcastic, or even playful. He began to wonder whether it has decided to ignore Itachi and went back to 'sleep' or it simply has nothing to say. Itachi is going to say something, but then suddenly…

BAM

"!"

The window in front of him was opened with such a great force by none other than Rias. She looks exhausted and very disorganize. This made him wonder just what exactly has happened while he was busy conversing with the existence inside him.

"A-akeno, will you stop tickling me, PLEASE?" begged Rias. She looks like she's going to fly away the moment Akeno comes close to her. In response, AKeno only let out a small giggle.

"Ufufu~. Buchou~. It's useless to beg. After all, this is your punishment!" declared Akeno while moving her fingers wildly. Rias looks scared upon seeing Akeno's fingers moves so wild like that, but as if it wasn't enough, Akneo called out to the other two females. "Now then, Koneko-chan, Asia-chan, come and help me 'punish' our dear Buchou~" said Akeno with a radiant smile. Rias immediately becomes pale and then she tried to escape through the window, but proves to be a futile effort when Koneko hugs her from behind and prevents her from running away.

"You can't run…" said Koneko in a very passive tone, however to Rias that tone of hers sounded more like a cold and merciless one.

"K-Koneko! Release me at once!" ordered Rias. Koneko merely shakes her head and continues to prevent Rias from escaping.

"B-Buchou-san! I-I'll do my best!" said Asia with a very shy expression, heck, there are even tears in her eyes. However, there is a flame of determination in her eyes.

"Asia! Don't do your best in this kind of thing!" yelled Rias with a horrified look. She then became as pale as ghost when Akeno slowly comes closer to her with a playful look. Akeno look at Rias while licking her lips, and then…

BOING

Her hands shot out towards Rias' breasts and began fondling her nipples.

"N-no! S-stop it Akeno!" yelled Rias with a bright red face. Akeno simply giggled at Rias' reaction and then she put more force into her hands. Rias tried to hold back her voice, but then she finally reaches her limit.

"AAAHN~!"

Such was the moan of Rias which due to its volume, could be hear by the entire student bodies of Kuoh academy. This sound marks the beginning of one of Kuoh's seven wonders: The Moaning Ghost.

Now, any normal person would definitely be aroused upon seeing such a grand display of eroticism, however Itachi is not exactly normal. He sweat dropped as he looks at the helpless figure of Rias and feels a headache creeping up to his head. He then closed his eyes and massaged his temple with his right hand while letting out a small sigh.

"Uhuhu~. What a nice reaction… Now, Asia-chan! It's your turn~" Akeno called out to Asia, and gesture at her to tickles Rias' breasts.

"Y-yes!" Asia hesitantly came closer to Rias. She looks at the Akeno and Rias with a blush on her face, and then she slowly brings her hands towards Rias. Rias who is now panting looks at Asia on the eyes, and silently plead to her not to do it. On the other hand, Akeno also looks at Asia on the eyes, and silently urging her to do it. Asia looks like she's going to cry from the sheer pressure of the choices presented to her. She looks at Rias and Akeno for a moment, before closing her eyes and moving her hands forward once more. Rias looks as if she has lost all hope, and she closes her eyes in preparations for what she is going to feel. However, right before her hands touches Rias breasts, suddenly Asia pulled it back.

"Ah~! Forgive me, Akeno-san! As I thought…I can't do it. Please forgive this sinful act of mine, Oh Lor….HAUUUU~!" Suddenly she grabbed her head and cries in pain due to her habit of praying to God, even though she should not do it anymore, since a devil would suffers terrible pains if they prays to God. Itachi sweat dropped as he looks at the defeated form of the former nun, and then he noticed the perverted look on Issei's face which makes him sweat dropped even more.

"_Such…stupidity…" _thought Itachi tiredly. It's no wonder that the probability of their success in the upcoming event was very low. Not to mention, as he looks at the perverted face on Issei's face, he really began to consider whether it was wise or not to turn him into the Sekiryuutei. As if to say, it wasn't, comes the sobbing voice of Ddraig.

"_***Hic*… *Hic*… Such a pervert wielder…" **_cried Ddraig with a very pitiful voice. Of course, the only ones who could hear that voice were Itachi and the existence inside him. Itachi sweat dropped when he heard Ddraig crying, because all those time they were together, he never even saw him letting out a drop of tear from his eyes. He then averted his attention back to Issei, and as he looks at the almost passed out form of Issei (due to the stimulus from Rias and Akeno), somehow he feels a tinge of guilt and pity for Ddraig. He then feels a soft tug on his chest, and looks to his chest with a passive gaze.

…**.**

Itachi blink twice at what the thing inside him just said, and then he tiredly gives his answer.

"Yeah… I also pity him…" answered Itachi with half closed eyes. He really sympathizes with Ddraig for having to endure Issei's perverseness every single days, although he is the one to be blamed for Ddraig's current predicaments. He then looks at Issei once again, and then he blinked when he sees that Issei is already slumped down on the floor, courtesy of Koneko's punch.

"No perverted thought allowed…" declared Koneko coldly. Itachi sweat dropped at the young girl's cruel treatment towards her senior, and starts to wonder whether that affectionate little girl personality was simply a façade or not. He then looks at Asia who is now tending to the unconscious form of Issei, and noted that she seems to be able to adapt to the occult research club, despite her previous affiliation.

"T-Thanks, Asia" Issei gratefully said.

"It's nothing, Issei-san" replied Asia with a very cute smile, and Issei starts to blush as he sees her smile. Asia also blushes a little and both of them looks at each other contently.

Itachi looks at the exchange between the two teenagers, and for some reason, for some extremely strange reason, he starts to imagines both of them in a chapel wearing a wedding dress and a suit. Itachi shakes his head and dispelled his misleading (in his opinion) imagination, and starts to become concerned whether he was infected by Rias' over the top 'imagination' or it was something else entirely.

"A-Akeno, that's enough!" Rias voices brought Itachi out of his stupor, and then he noticed one thing, Rias is currently staring at his direction. He looks at Rias with a passive gaze, as if he is unconcerned with Rias looking at him. Rias look at him, or rather, she looks like she is looking at him, but then she completely ignored his presence, as if he wasn't even there. Itachi let out a sigh after seeing Rias ignored his presence completely and then he stood up. After looking at the occult research club one last time, but with some doubts in his eyes, he teleport himself away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"A-Akeno! Koneko! Cut it out! Mou~, Issei, Yuuto, help me!" cried Rias with tears in her eyes. Well, if one was tickled on the nipples by the ultimate sadist, then this is the natural reactions. In fact, she almost let out another moan which might enforce the legend of 'The Moaning Ghost'. Asia looks at the scene with tears on her eyes and she is panicking, because she really doesn't know what to do. Yuuto, knowing that things would become worse if he tried to stop them, decides to just enjoy the tea on the table. Meanwhile, Issei is content with just watching the whole erotic scene with a perverted look, and he starts imagining the girls wearing bikinis while doing this. However, his imagination was short lived, because he was hit on the head by a lamp that was thrown by Koneko.

"Pervert face…" Issei starts screaming in pain, and Asia began to tend to him once more. Rias took this chance to free herself from Koneko's grasp, and then she yelled at them.

"Enough is ENOUGH!" yelled Rias while panting. Akeno, Koneko, Yuuto, Issei and Asia looks at Rias for a moment, before Akeno suddenly giggled and remarks how cute Rias reaction was, which incites an almost uncontrollable rage within Rias. She managed to calm herself down, and then tells them to go back to their respective duties, with an extremely sweet and dangerous smile. All of the caught the meaning behind that smile, and Akeno, despite being the sadist that she is, does not want to have another fight, but with a far different level of lethality with Rias. Issei trembled on his place due to the frightful feeling that Rias' smile gives to him, while on the other hand, Asia looks like she is going to cry at any moment. The ones who were seems to be least affected are none other than Koneko and Yuuto. Koneko is passively sitting on the sofa, and then proceed to pull put a lollipop from her bag and began to lick it. Yuuto simply continue drinking his tea, in a perfect prince manner. He even has glitters coming out of his body.

Rias sigh and rubbed her temple because of the carefree manner of her peerage. She then returned to her seat, and ponders about what moves should she make against Raiser as she looks at the chessboard on her table. But then she averted her attention to the tree where she had her eyes on just now and began to ponder to herself.

"_Was there…someone on that tree…?"_ pondered Rias with a face full of confusion.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx

It has been a few days since the commotion in the club room. Right now, Itachi is looking at the exchange between Grayfia and Rias inside the club room. Grayfia seems to remind Rias about the upcoming event while Rias seems adamant not to go through with it. Itachi could not hear their conversations, but he has no intention to read their lips, since he wants to give Rias privacy in this matter. Not to mention, he trust Rias is already capable enough to deal with Grayfia.

Unfortunately, on this one, he was wrong.

Rias might seems able to deal with Grayfia, however she still feared her, for she is her sister-in-law. The only thing that prevents her from stuttering due to nervousness and fear is the fact that right now Grayfia is wearing her usual maid uniform, and is in her maid mode. So, the pressure emitted by Grayfia is not as heavy and intense as the one that she emitted if she doesn't wear her maid uniform.

Itachi looks at the exchange with half closed eyes, and then he noticed that the time is almost midnight. So he decided to let his body rest for a moment, while waiting for the conversations between both women to end. He doesn't know whether there would be any unforeseen situation or not, so he wants to make sure that Rias is safe, at least until her rating game is concluded.

With that, he leaned onto the tree and slowly closed his eyes, for a brief moment of rest. If only he decided to stay conscious for just a bit longer, then he could see something that would greatly impressed him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx

"I suggest that you think about this again, Rias-sama" came the voice of Grayfia, which somehow sounds like she simply delivering an evaluation. Rias looks at Grayfia in the eyes with an unfazed look, although the truth is that she is trembling on the inside.

"I will not change my decision, Grayfia. I shall challenge Raiser to a rating game" declared Rias without hesitation. Grayfia looks at Rias, as if to see some sort of doubt in her, but when she sees none, she let out a very small sigh.

"It is unwise to fight such a powerful opponent with yours and your peerage current level of strength. Even though you are the sister of Sirzechs-sama, I cannot guarantee what could happen to you" explained Grayfia.

"I know. I'm prepared for that" Rias immediately replied without so much a change in expression.

"….." Grayfia became silent upon hearing Rias' reply. She closed her eyes for a moment in contemplation, and then she decides to confirm something and slowly opens her eyes.

"Rias-sama. Why do you want to cancel your engagement with Raiser Phenex?" began Grayfia.

"…." Rias did not say anything at Grayfia's question. Grayfia look at her for a second, before she continues her lecture.

"Surely you know what at risk here. Not only your own reputation, but the reputation of Gremory clan is at stake. Your decision might make the elders to look down on you" continues Grayfia with a matter of factly tone.

"….." Rias still did not say anything, and this time she bowed her head slightly. Grayfia could not see Rias' expression, because her face is covered by her bangs, but if her clenched fists and trembling were any indications, then she knows that Rias is on the verge of outburst. Grayfia sigh slightly, and then she decides to give her another 'push'.

"If that were not enough reasons, the preservation of the pure-blood devils lineage should be enough reason to…" She could not say another word, because suddenly Rias stands up and shout at her.

"GRAYFIA!" shouted Rias with her voice carries so much anger aimed at Grayfia. Anyone would be surprised or even shocked and frightened upon hearing Rias shouted like that. However, Grayfia remains unfazed, as if Rias' outburst does not have any effect on her whatsoever. She decides to be silent, and listen to what her husband's little sister wanted to say (after all, that's why she gave her so many 'pushes' earlier).

"That's enough…" begged Rias with a frown.

"…"

"Please…don't say more…" Rias looks like she was pushed to the edge, and her breathing pace has become irregular. If she was given another push, she might starts crying. Grayfia let out an audible sigh and then she called out to Rias.

"Rias-sama" Grayfia's voice was unlike her usual stern one, no her voce was warm and understanding, and this caused Rias to look up from her depression, but then she sees something that truly surprised her. What she sees is a face of an elder sister, a loving face which sympathize with her plight, something that Grayfia wouldn't usually show while she still work as a maid.

"Rias…tell me. Why do you oppose your engagement?" asked Grayfia with a gentle smile. Rias rub her face and then she stared at Grayfia.

"Is it not obvious?" Rias asked back. Grayfia has a knowing smile on her lips, and then she gives a slight nod.

"Itachi…right?" asked Grayfia. Rias blushed at Grayfia's words and then she shyly nod. Grayfia gives a relief sigh which makes Rias to look at her with a questioning gaze. Grayfia look at her 'little sister' and then she shows a very rare smile. A playful smile.

"Don't worry… I simply wanted to confirm something…" assured Grayfia. Rias look at her still with that questioning gaze, but then realization dawn upon her.

"Grayfia! You said all those things just to make me tell you my reason, didn't you?" interrogated Rias with a yell. Grayfia simply continue to smiles and then she gives her the answer.

"Of course" replied Grayfia simply. Rias becomes beet red due to Grayfia's bluntness.

"Wh-why?" stuttered Rias with a blush. She doesn't understand why Grayfia act so out of character towards her, despite her earlier protest.

"It is the duty of the maid of Gremory Household to ensure that their master always receives the best – even in marriage. However…" trailed Grayfia.

"However?"

"Personally, not as the maid of Gremory, but as Grayfia Lucifuge, I want my 'little sister' to be happy with the man she loves…" said Grayfia with a smile. Rias blushed at the implications of her relationship with Itachi. She then stares at Grayfia's eyes, and she couldn't find any form of deceit. There's only truth in those eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but Grayfia beats her to it.

"Not to mention, I'm sure 'Otou-sama' and 'Okaa-sama' also wanted the same thing, despite their urge for you to marry Raiser Phenex…" explained Grayfia. Rias blink twice, but then she became gloomy.

"What makes you so sure?" asked Rias with a gloomy face. Grayfia only gives her another smile, but this one is best described as motherly instead of playful.

"Let's just call it…a mother's intuition…" replied Grayfia. Of course Grayfia didn't tell the truth that Rias' parents had also express objection to their daughter arranged marriage, however they could not openly object to it since it would endanger the name of Gremory and the lives of their servants. If she told her the truth, then there's no doubt that the pressure on Rias' heart would increase, and she might give up fighting for her happiness.

Rias stares at Grayfia for a whole minute, and then she sighed at Grayfia's conviction. Rias about to say something, but then Grayfia interrupted her again.

"That being said…I hope you will take full responsibilities of your actions…" began Grayfia with a stern gaze and an equally stern voice. Rias became pale when Grayfia turned into her 'Onee-sama' mode, and began to lecture her.

"You need make sure that you plan your moves carefully, and properly plan your next actions for all possible outcomes" continues Grayfia. Rias looks like a little kid that is being lectured by her teacher or mother, and she starts to shrink. Grayfia, whether she noticed or not, ignored Rias' expression and the fact that she shrank in favor of continuing her lectures.

Grayfia continues her lecture for more than ten minutes, and in that time, Rias keeps shrinking until she's finally sulks in the corner. Grayfia sigh at the similarity between Rias and Sirzechs, but then she remembers something important, something that she must warned Rias.

"Rias…." Grayfia called her without the use of honorific which surprised Rias slightly.

"Yes?" said Rias while still sulking. Grayfia let out another sigh, but then her expression turns serious and she has a very stern gaze, which pull Rias out of her sulking.

"First and foremost…" began Grayfia.

"?"

"Make sure…that you do not get Itachi involved in this" warned Grayfia.

"!" Rias gasped at what Grayfia just said and then she decided to ask for the reason.

"Why?"

"Surely, you do not want to disturb his training right? After all, he almost finishes his training with Tannin-sama, and it would not do if he heard about your situation and rushes in to help you" explained Grayfia. Rias nodded at Grayfia's reasoning and indeed she does not want to trouble Itachi with her problems, and then she proceeds to confirm something.

"So, Itachi is really with Tannin-sama?" asked Rias with a hopeful tone. Grayfia nod at her question, and a smile appeared at Rias' face.

"Yes, currently he is finishing his training and soon will be back with us" Rias becomes very happy as soon as Grayfia said the last part of her sentence. Grayfia, who deemed it necessary to continue, then add "Because of that, you should do your very best to win. You do not want your reunion to happen with you as someone else's wife, right?"

Rias stares at Grayfia's eyes, and from the fire in her eyes, Grayfia knows that she has managed to instill another reason within Rias to win her rating game. She really hopes that her will would be enough to close the gap between her and Raiser. But, saying all those things about Itachi to Rias hurts her chest, because she was basically lying to her own family.

Yes. All the information about Itachi that she told to Rias was a lie. She does not know Itachi's current whereabouts, and the information about him training with Tannin was an agreement on how to conceal Itachi's disappearance. Sirzechs especially, had told her not to reveal the truth to Rias, or any of the members of Gremory clan, because he doesn't want them to worry. Just imagine how the girls would react if they know that Itachi disappeared without a single clue about his conditions. Knowing how close they are with Itachi, it would be no surprise if they break down.

Grayfia truly dislike this situation. Having to use Itachi's absence as a reason to motivate Rias to win her rating game, it makes a sour taste appears on her tongue. Not to mention, the real reason why she doesn't want Rias to involve Itachi, is because he is a human. He actually has no right to interfere in a devil's political problems, being a human that he is. Without doubt, it would raise scandals if he got involved in this, and she does not want to put any more burden on the young man whom, like Sirzechs, she already considered as a younger brother.

Grayfia is brought out of her musing when she feels a very subtle presence of someone near them. She quickly looks at the direction of the presence and noticed that it was hidden from them. She narrowed her eyes slightly, and then she looks back at Rias.

"Rias-sama" called Grayfia in her usual strict voice. Rias looks surprised because Grayfia suddenly reverts back to her maid mode, and then she prompted her to continue. Grayfia gives a slight nod of appreciation to Rias.

"I shall take my leave. There is something that has demand my attention" explained Grayfia. Rias only blink twice, but then she simply gives her a nod without asking anything, because it will not do to delay a Satan's wife, especially if it was someone like Grayfia, from carrying their duty.

Grayfia looks at Rias for a moment, and then she nodded at her once more and creates a magic circle to teleport herself away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Uchiha Itachi slowly opened his eyes and noted the sudden appearance of a presence that he knows very well near him. He straightens his back, and lazily rotates his head to the left. True enough, to his left stands a silver-haired maid on one of the trees. She looks at him with narrowed eyes, as if demanding him to tell her his identity. Itachi simply look at her with a passive gaze, before he slowly stood up, as if she wasn't a threat at all.

"_So, __**'Peak of Solitude'**__ doesn't work against someone of her skills and experience. Or maybe it's the strength of her magical power…" _assessed Itachi, as he analyzed the flaws in his spell. _"Either way…as expected of Grayfia-san…" _praised Itachi in his mind.

Grayfia on the other hand, is looking at the person in front of her with suspicion. It's mainly, because of his appearance, since the person wears a black cloak which practically conceals everything. Even his face could not be seen. She narrowed her eyes when she saw that the man lazily stood up, and simply dismissed her threatening gaze as if it was nothing. She noted that the man in front of her must be extremely skillful for being able to almost completely concealed his presence, especially from her. She then analyzed the spell that the man used for a moment before coming into a conclusion.

"That spell…it does not work by erasing your presence from other people. It works by blending your presence to your surroundings, am I right?" interrogated Grayfia. Itachi is impressed by Grayfia's assessment. Although it wasn't exactly correct, but she did almost hit the mark simply by seeing it once. So, he claps for her accomplishment, however Grayfia took this as an insult, and point her hand to him, which then began to glow with power.

"Tell me. Who are you?" Grayfia demanded with a stern look and voice colder than ice. Any other beings would feel frighten when faced with such an intimidating person. However, for Itachi who had seen worse, he merely shrugs his shoulders. Grayfia narrowed her eyes further at the insolence of the person in front of her, and then she repeats her question.

"As a servant of both Sirzechs Lucifer, and the Gremory household, I demand that you tell me your identity" repeated Grayfia with an even colder voice. Itachi considered his options for a while. He does not want to be captured by anyone, even if that person is Grayfia or another one of his acquaintances, because of his circumstances. He considered running away, but knowing who is in front of him, it would be a very difficult task to accomplish. So, he has no choice, but to create a distraction so that he could swiftly escape without inflicting major injuries to his body.

Itachi slowly form a battle stance, and Grayfia narrowed her eyes as she seen that the person would not comply with her demand. However, she would not be pulled into the man's flow and decide to just stood still while continue to glared at him. Itachi looks at Grayfia for a moment, and then he let out a small sigh when he sees that Grayfia could not be swayed by his provocations. So, he decides to taunt her even more, by pointing his right thumb to his chest, and then flap his left hand. As expected, Grayfia's gaze intensifies, and her killing intent poured out alongside her aura. This is because Grayfia knew what that gesture means.

'Want to know who I am? Come and find it out yourself'

Grayfia creates numerous magic circles, and Itachi, who is smiling at the fact that his taunting worked, quickly braces for Grayfia's attacks. And now the battle between the 'unparalleled genius' and 'the strongest queen' begins.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

**[Occult research club] **

Rias called upon her peerage for a special meeting just a day after her conversation with Grayfia. The topic of this meeting is to discuss on the progress of their trainings, especially Issei and Asia, and about Raiser. However, the atmosphere of this meeting is not tense at all. No, in fact with the smiling face of Akeno and the small red points on Koneko's cheeks, it's hard not to say that their mood has swing to the heaven.

It is only natural; after all, before this meeting takes place, Rias has informed them that Itachi might return soon. Akeno, who had her usual elegant face, suddenly went ecstatic at the prospect of meeting Itachi again, while Koneko who was licking her candy, had gleams in her eyes. Akeno starts to imagine how Itachi looks after two years, and remarks that he must have becomes very good looking. Koneko, on the other hand only gives one word as a comment.

"Mature…"

Was Koneko's hope for Itachi. Everyone knows how mature Itachi was, but the word that Koneko said wasn't mean Itachi's personality, but rather a certain aspect of his. Yes, Koneko was hoping that Itachi's mind towards the opposite sex would be more _mature _and _sensitive_, especially towards their feelings for him. She really hoped that by the time they meet again, he would notice her feeling and doesn't treat her like a little sister again. Well, if one is as adorable and small as she is, it's hard to see her as a potential lover, and is more likely to be seen as someone who needs to be protected a.k.a little sister.

Rias and Akeno understood what Koneko means, and they simultaneously sigh. It's because, all those time they were together, Itachi never even once noticed their feelings. No, they know it's because he treasured every single one of them equally that he could not see them as something more than friends. In fact, from how he treated them, it's more likely that he thought of them as a family, instead of friends. They really starts to wonder how Itachi's mind work, and at some point in the past, Sona even proposed to dissect his head and see what his brain is made of, because of his denseness.

Rias, Akeno, plus Koneko let out a tired sigh at the same time, and decide to just focus on today's meeting.

So, here they are, staring at the table with data about Raiser and his peerage, which incites rage within Issei. It is only natural. After all, for someone as perverted as Issei, and whose dream is to become a 'harem king', Raiser has what exactly he wanted. A harem.

All members of Raiser peerage are females of various kinds. A sexy big breasted lady, twins, warrior lady with a knight-like attitude, a wild looking woman, a Chinese girl and many more. Issei almost lost his sense of reason when he saw it for the first time, and then he turns to Rias with tears on his eyes.

"Buchou! What's the meaning of this!?" Issei questioned with tears streaming down from his eyes like a waterfall. Rias was taken aback by her servant outburst and then she cleared her throat.

"Ehem! What's the meaning of what?" asked Rias with a raised eyebrow. Issei then slammed the table, which further surprised not only Rias, but also Asia, Akeno, Koneko and Yuuto.

"This!" pointed Issei at the picture of Raiser and his peerage. "How come all the members of his peerage are females?! Isn't it unfair?!" yelled Issei with a lame face. Rias look at the photo, and then she looks back at Issei and starts sweat dropping.

"Umm. I don't see a problem with it?" asked Rias strangely. It was the wrong thing to say for Issei suddenly stood up and then he declared…

"But that's a harem!" declared Issei as if that would explain everything. Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Asia and Yuuto, all blink twice at the same time, because of what Issei just declared. Rias stares at the photo once again, and then she finally managed to connect the dots, the same with all of them. She remembers that her servant, the wielder of the Boosted Gear, has a grand dream (according to him that is) of becoming a harem king. So, of course he would be jealous of someone who possesses one, which is pretty miserable really.

Rias stares at Issei with a blank look, Akeno put a hand on her cheek and goes [Ara ara] as usual, Koneko simply continue licking her candy without any care towards Issei's declaration, Yuuto try his best to hold his giggle, and Asia. Oh, Asia has troubled look on her face, and she really doesn't know what she should do. So, she brings her hands together, and then she prays.

"Oh Lo…HAUUUU!" Asia slumped down to the floor due to the pain. She tried to pray for Issei so that he would not be troubled again, but she really should mind her own safety more. Rias sweat dropped upon seeing Asia slumped down in pain, and even Issei stop his bawling, and went to her side to see whether she is alright or not. Rias rubs her head, and then she decided to tell her peerage to focus and resume their meeting. However, before she could speak, an extremely annoying laughter can be heard echoing throughout the occult research club building.

"Heheheheheheheh~!"

That's right everyone. It's that person. That annoying person who is also (in my opinion) a total jerk.

Rias massaged her temple upon hearing that laughter. She knows very well who the owner of such an annoying laughter is. Soon, a magic circle with an emblem of a phoenix appears in the middle of the room, and the occult research club is greeted by the sights of none other than Raiser and his peerage.

"Yo~. Rias. How do you do~?" asked Raiser with a very arrogant smirk. He is currently sitting on a sofa, which apparently was teleported alongside himself and his peerage. As if that is not enough, his peerage is basically cuddling around him, with the exception of some who have a warrior look on their appearances. Rias look displeased by the way Raiser addressed her, and this was noticed by a young girl with a blond hair which is tied into two pony-tails that ends up with a drill.

"Ara. Rias-sama. What's with that look? And after Onii-sama took the trouble of coming here just to meet you…" said the girl with a very prideful smile which is befitting her noble appearance. Rias frowned a bit, but then she addressed the young girl with a fake smile.

"I'm sorry Ravel. I am merely surprised at the sudden appearance of you and your dear brother" explained Rias with a smile. The girl who is now identified as Ravel fumed at Rias' fake smile and the fact that she didn't use any honorifics in addressing her. However, before she could protest at Rias' attitude towards her, Raiser laughs once more. Ravel looks at her brother with an odd expression, while Rias narrowed her eyes.

"Heh. Don't concern yourself over petty things like this Ravel. After all, soon she will become your older sister" said Raiser as he stares at Rias body, particularly the breasts, with lust-filled eyes. Rias simply closed her eyes in annoyance. Meanwhile, Issei who was upset at the fact that the blond devil appeared with so many women, is now truly angry, because of how he looks at his master.

"Oi! Don't look at our Buchou like that!" yelled Issei. Raiser's peerage became surprised at the fact that a low class devil had just yelled at their master. Some of them, especially Ravel who has a lot of pride towards her brother is now seething with anger. Asia looks worried that Issei might be harmed by these women, however suddenly Raiser burst out laughing loudly which causes Issei to look upset at him.

Raiser continues to laugh for a whole minute, and then Issei demands to know what is so funny. Raiser closed one eye and then gives a snide remark to Issei, which further fueled his rage. However, Raiser simply ignored Issei and then he turned his eyes back to Rias.

"Yo. Rias. I heard you want to challenge me to a rating game, isn't that right?" asked Raiser lazily.

"Yes. That is correct" confirmed Rias with a stern gaze. Raiser continues to look at Rias with his lust-filled eyes and then he took a glass of wine.

"Heh. Just drop it. It's useless to have a rating game when the winner is already decided" Raiser declared with so much confident in himself. Ravel smirk at her brother's declaration, but then both Phenex siblings smiles drop when they see Rias face.

"I wouldn't say that if I was you" Rias said with a prideful smile, but one which is not arrogant. In response, Raiser simply laughs again at Rias defiance.

"Hah! Just calmly accepts me as your husband and things will not go hectic!" Raiser pointed at himself as he said those words. Rias frown for a moment, before her expression turns relax, and then she starts hugging her body. With a smile and an intimidating gaze she then denied Raiser's wish.

"Unfortunately, this body…and this heart….is already claimed by someone else" declared Rias with a passionate look. Ravel looks shock as she heard the words which came out of Rias' mouth. She then tried to ask about the person who has stolen Rias' heart, but then Raiser beats her to it.

"Hoo~. Is it that unknown devil?" asked Raiser. The moment he said that, Ravel understood just who was it that her brother as referring to.

"_Unknown?"_ thought Issei and Asia with a blank face. Ravel, seeing the blank look on their faces, let out a sigh. She then decided that as a proper noble lady, she needs to explain things properly to those who are lower than her.

"No one knows where he came from…" began Ravel. "Not even the elders of the clans. The only things that are known is that he has close relationship with three out of four Satans, and he lived with the Gremory clan. He…" Ravel's attempt to further explain was interrupted by Raiser, who is waving his hand at her.

"The point is…that person… Uchiha Itachi, was it? He is….a _stray devil…_ No, he is someone who is even lower than a trash of society" declared Raiser with an arrogant smirk. Issei and Asia gasped at what they've just heard, while Ravel nod at her brother's words and some of Raiser's servants is now smirking. However, their faces turns to shock immediately, when Rias suddenly slam the table with such a great force that it was a miracle the table wasn't crushed.

Rias is now pouring her aura in anger. No, not only Rias. Even Akeno and Koneko are pouring their auras with cold rage. Issei, Asia and Yuuto goes to the side immediately, because they know that it would be a bad thing to stands in front of those girls when they are angry. Ravel has sweats pouring from her body, and for once she is actually feels frightened. Raiser's peerage goes still like statues, and each one of them could feel the killing intent radiates by the three girls. However, all of that were nothing compared to the one that Raiser feels.

For the first time in his life, Raiser feels _intimidated_. He could feel the pressure in his chest as the three girls directed their glares towards him. It's as if there's a guillotine hovering just above his head, and if he makes one wrong move, it will come down and take his life away. Unfortunately, being the arrogant and stupid bastard that he is, he dismissed those feelings as insignificant, and simply let out a strained laugh. Rias, Akeno and Koneko poured out more of their aura, but then Raiser order his queen to come to his side, and starts fondling her.

Issei witness Raiser fondling his queen's breasts and then he gritted his teeth in envy. However, if one took noticed carefully, Raiser's hand is trembling slightly; a sensation that is felt by Yubelluna. She looks at her 'king' with a concerned face, and then she noticed that Raiser is actually sweating profoundly. She then feels a cold sweat and slowly turned her neck around and sees that Rias' murderous gaze is aimed at her. No, rather than her, it was aimed at the man who still fondling her.

"Raiser…" Rias calmly called to him. However, her gaze is anything but calm, and fury is visible in her eyes.

"What?" Raiser asked with a dry throat.

"Don't you dare…call Itachi a trash…" Rias threaten Raiser while intensifying her aura. As if to follow their king, Akeno and Koneko also intensified their auras, and the room is now cracking, because of the pressure from the girls' powers. Raiser gulp down his nervous spit, and then he simply hold up his hands, and gesturing them to calm down. However, Rias would not calm down, and then she declared…

"Raiser! Our rating game is no longer between us! Now that you have insulted him, I will no longer hold back!" yelled Rias with a voice full of rage. Raiser looks taken aback for a moment, but then he clears his throat, and his holier-than-thou smile returned.

"Oh? So you will take me seriously? Is that what you were saying?" questioned Raiser. Rias glared at him again, and then she points a finger towards him.

"If I win this rating game, aside from cancelling our engagement…you will apologize for calling Itachi a trash!" declared Rias. Raiser continues to smirk at her declaration as if it was a joke. Akeno and Koneko who saw this smirk, glared at him with so much hostility. In fact, the killing intents are now visible and some of the members of Raiser's peerage are now whimpering on the corner, alongside Issei and Asia.

"Hoh~. Interesting. Fine! I'll take up your challenge then, Rias!" declared Raiser with a very dramatic voice. "I will defeat you! And then your body and the bodies of your precious servants…" began Raiser as he points at Akeno and Koneko. "…will be mine, you virgins!" yelled Raiser while licking his lips in anticipation. Rias simply glared at him, and Issei tried to say something, but Akeno spread her hand and prevent him from saying anything. Issei looks at Akeno and then he could see something that is even more frightening than her sadist mode.

Her eyes are blank and emotionless. It's not that it is lifeless, it's more like she no longer register the one that she set her eyes on (which is Raiser) as a living being. Issei truly became frighten, and then he realized that Akeno is really angry. She then looks at Issei and Asia, and then her eyes return to normal.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. Issei-kun~. It's not good to disturb the conversations between 'kings' you know? If you could not be quiet, I will 'punish' you later~" offered Akeno with an extremely sweet smile. Issei shuddered and then he shakes his head quickly. Akeno then noted that it is unfortunate, since she could show him a different aspect in pleasure, before turning her attention back to Raiser with the same blank and emotionless eyes.

"In the way…" said Koneko slowly. What she meant was that she doesn't want Issei to get in the way of their psychological war with Raiser. If Issei yelled just now, then without doubt Raiser will become cockier with himself, and he might insult Itachi more than he already done. She cares about her new 'family' more than anyone else, and the one whom she cares the most, is the one who invited her to her new 'family', who is none other than Itachi. That is the reason why she doesn't want to hear anyone insulting him, no matter who that person is. And right now, she has no intention to lose against the person who has just insulted him, even if it's a simple psychological war.

"Fine then. But know this Raiser. I will not become your wife. And you will not touch my servants!" declared Rias with a confident smile. Raiser only gives a predatory smile at Rias declaration. He then proposed that the rating game will took place here, eleven days from now, which basically enough time for Rias and Raiser to fully prepare their cards. Rias merely gives a nod to confirm that she agrees with Raiser's proposal. Raiser looks at her one last time, before he creates a magic circle to teleport himself and his peerage away.

Right before she disappear, Ravel look at Rias with a newfound admiration, and this was noticed by Rias. Rias gives a small smile of appreciation towards Ravel, and Ravel fumed with embarrassment from the fact that Rias noticed her looks of admiration (typical tsundere).

After Raiser and his peerage disappeared, Rias immediately ordered her servants to prepare for a special training camp. Issei who is finally allowed to talk, ask Rias just who they are dealing with. Rias merely replies that he is someone that she is engage to, and now she will destroy that engagement. Rias then add that Raiser was unbeatable in the rating game where he participated to. Issei and Asia became shock at hearing this, and Asia remarks that he must be a very powerful person, which Rias replied with yes.

Issei trembled at this and questioned whether it is possible for them to win against such a powerful enemy. Rias looks at Issei for a moment, before she gave him a light slap at the cheek. Rias then scolded Issei and tells him to have a bit more confident on himself, because she would need his helps. Rias noted that the Boosted Gear might become the key to victory against Raiser, and it would not do if the wielder himself does not confident with his own ability.

Issei look at Rias for a moment, and then he clenched his fists and declared that he would do his best for Buchou. Asia cheers for Issei, while Rias and the rest of the occult research club smiles at Issei's declaration. Akeno then add that they all want to do the same, and she personally also want to do this, because Raiser had insulted Itachi, which makes Rias and Koneko nodded in agreement. Rias then declared that they would headed to the training site tomorrow morning, and if someone's late coming there, then that person would have to run through the mountain a hundred times, which makes Issei's jaw drop, and Asia cries with shock. She then giggles and tell them that it was a joke; half of it. Issei began asking Rias which one is a joke, which Rias playfully answer….

"Guess it yourself, Issei" answered Rias with a playful smile and a wink.

"BUCHOU~!" cried Issei to the heaven.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx

While all the fiascos were happening in the occult research club. None of them noticed the presence of Uchiha Itachi.

Currently he is sitting on top of a tree near the occult research club building. However, unlike his usual appearances, this time his cloak is tattered and the bandages on his face are also damaged. It's as if he just went to battle a very troublesome foe (Grayfia), and only barely managed to escape.

"_As I thought… Grayfia-san is a really skillful fighter. I never thought it would take me almost twelve hour just to escape from her…" _thought Itachi tiredly. He then brought his right hand to his left shoulder, and then from his right palm, a greenish light pulsated. He grimaced in pain and then he ripped that section of his cloak, and it reveals a very nasty swelling. He brought back his right hand to his left shoulder, and slowly but surely the injury became less visible.

Itachi tiredly sigh, and then he noticed that the bandage has becomes loose. He tried tying it up again, but with its condition as it is, even to simply tighten it up is almost impossible. He then sigh that it is no longer usable, and then he opted to just replace it with a new one.

Slowly Itachi take off all the bandages on his face, and then his face is revealed to the world. There is no change to his face. However, that what makes it odd. For a human, two years is more than enough for one face to matured and change slightly, becoming older. However, there is no sign of change in Itachi's face. It's as if he didn't age at all sin these two years. Luckily for him, his expression and face is already more matured than any other men of his age, so it would not posed a problem if his face is seen. Itachi already took of all the bandages except the last layer, but then he opened his mouth.

"I'm going to take it off now. Behave yourself" ordered Itachi. In response, he could feel a slight tug in his chest and then he let out a relieved sigh.

"Good…" said Itachi with a relieved smile. He pulled of the last layer and the he burns all those bandages using a fire magic. He then reaches into his cloak and pulled out a small black box, and opened it. Inside, it reveals only a small linen cloth. However, it's big enough to cover his head twice. Itachi frowned as he sees how small it is and then he began to take out a knife and cuts the cloth into bandages.

"_So, this is the last of the Turin's Shrouds… I need to find an alternative medium…" _thought Itachi as he continues to cut the cloth.

After he finished making bandages from the clothes, he then bites his thumb and begins to write am incomprehensible symbols and words on the bandages. After he finished, he then slowly bandaged his face once again. He then picked up the box and placed it back into his cloak, before shifting his gaze to the building in front of him and tiredly looks at the occult research club.

Itachi let out a small sigh at Rias' impulsiveness, and noted that she should be able to at least hold her patience against someone like Raiser in the future. If not, then she might aggravate the situation and makes it even more dangerous. He also noted that Raiser, despite his arrogant and holier-than-thou attitude, knows how to properly execute a mental war. Raiser used his absence as a catalyst to taunt Rias into letting go of her cool, and he actually succeeded. However, at the same time he also feels grateful for Rias for standing up for him like that.

Yes. He heard everything. All the insults that Raiser aimed at him, and the conversations between Rias and Raiser, he heard it all. However, he simply shrugs it off, because it was merely something that other people said, and he is also not one who is bothered by things such as insults. However, he noted that it seems he was speculated to be a stray devil, a trash of the underworld. He merely smiled when he heard that, because his real identity as a human is still a secret and any information about him is still well guarded.

He slowly stood up, and he could feel his body slowly limping to the side, due to the fatigue from his battle against Grayfia. He then lean on to the tree, and grimaced, because he could feel the pains on his abdomen. He placed his right hand unto it and his palm glow once more. He could feel the pain subside, but just as precaution, he decides to retired for the night. He then noted that the sun is finally set, and he smiles a bit as he look at it. But, then he remembered something, and he brought out his touch screen device. However, the next moment, his tired face turned into a frown.

**DEVIATIONS RATE INCREASED TO 34%**

**WARNING - FURTHER DIRECT INTERVENTION IS NOT SUGGESTED**

"_It increased that high from a simple encounter with Grayfia-san…"_ thought Itachi. He then feels a slight tug in his chest and began to open his mouth.

"I know what you want to say…" said Itachi.

…**.**

"No. It is not necessary to contact professor right now" Itachi shakes his head slightly while declining the advice of the existence inside him.

…**..**

"Yes. I'll remember that" assured Itachi.

He then stored his device away, and drops down from the tree. He looks at the occult research club with a passive gaze, before he muttered something.

"Good luck….Rias" muttered Itachi. A small smile then formed in his lips when he heard Issei's wailing voice, and shakes his head again at the antique of the current Sekiryuutei. He began to walks away, while thinking of letting Rias handles her own problems. However, his gaze then turns very serious.

"_If Rias is unsuccessful in cancelling her engagement with Raiser Phenex… Then…at that time…I will…."_ thought Itachi with a gaze that says whatever happens to the world, it does not matter as long as his friends able to live happily.

With that, his body slowly dissipates into the darkness, and his presence completely gone from Kuoh academy.

**AAAAAAANNNNNNDDDDDDD finish chapter 9. As I said sorry that it took so long. And yes. I have an announcement (whether it's bad or not for you guys, I don't know) for you guys.**

**Guys. Do you want me to continue this story or not (don't worry. I'm not abandoning it)? Right now, I am working on my own novel, and this makes me have to divide the attention between this story and my novel (heck, I even dropped out from Uni to dedicate my times to my stories). That is the reason why this chapter took so long to come out. And the problem is, as I work on my novel, the next chapter and the chapters after, would take at least two weeks to come out (maybe even longer). So, I need your honest opinions here.**

**1. Do you want me to continue this story despite of that?**

**2. Should I hand this story over to my brother? (I'll makes sure that he works on it and supervised him, but I can't guarantee that he would be motivated to do it)**

**3. Or, should I give this story over to another writer? **

**That's all. I hope you guys give me your answers ASAP, because the time for the next chapter to come out depends on this. **

**See ya!**


	10. Reunion - part 2

**Ookay~. Seeing that most, if not all of you, wanted me to continue it myself, and willing to wait longer…. I hereby give you….ch 10. Thanks for the reviews, guys. Really appreciate it.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 10

**Reunion – part 2 (I shall become the hero that she believes me to be)**

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**[Human world – Wallachia]**

"_So…it's located here" _thought one Uchiha Itachi.

He is currently surveying the area around the city of Buzau, looking over from one of the tallest buildings with his sharingan activated.

The reason he is here, in one of the cities of Wallachia, is to find the alternative medium to replace the Turin's Shrouds, which he already exhausted. One of his informants told him about a medium which is even stronger than the Shroud of Turin, and it is located in Buzau.

At first, he was a bit skeptical when he received that information, because there is zero credibility in its existence. However, after he discussed it with the Professor, he was persuaded that although it might only be a baseless rumor, but it is worth looking for. Because, if it is indeed exist then he would not need to bandage his body and face with the Shroud of Turin anymore (not that he still has it).

He could not argue with the Professor for his wisdom is far greater than him, so he immediately teleport himself to Buzau and began looking around.

"_Where is it? The shard of Zarathustra….." _thought Itachi as he moves from one building to the others. He continues surveying the city and its surrounding terrains from the ground and from the sky (with the help of his crows of course). However, when he could not found even a single clue about said item's whereabouts, he starts to become frustrated. Suddenly, he realized one important fact.

"Weird… Anything related to magic should have emitted some sort of residual magic, no matter how small…" muttered Itachi while inspecting one of the catacombs. _"So then…why is it that there is not even a single trace of magic here? The taste of religions influences here is so thick, yet not a single magic in the air. There should be at least a speck of holy element if this city is really under the influence of Christianity. Yet, there's nothing" _thought Itachi.

He then arrived to the deepest part of the catacomb, and he sighed as he saw that it was a dead end. He investigates the stone carvings on the catacomb, but then he noted that it is just ordinary carvings that one could see in the churches. He sighed again, and decides to head up right away. But then something strange happens to his eyes.

"_Hm? My eyes feel itchy" _thought Itachi as he began to rub his eyes. He shakes his head slightly while blinking rapidly in order to take out any dust that might enter his eyes, when he came into this catacomb. Still blinking, Itachi decided to ignore the itchiness. However, when he look up once more, he was presented with a sight that will make most people ran away in extreme fear.

The carvings of the angels, of the children, and of the Christ, all turned their heads to his direction and stared at him with wide eyes. The stone faces slowly morphed into more human-like – no, it is more accurate to say that it looks as if human faces had been embedded into the carvings, and now those faces are slowly resurfaced.

As if those were not enough, the eyes are slowly bulging out like they were pushed by something. People might screams with fear if they saw this scene. However, in Itachi opinion, instead of scary, this scene merely reminds him of one of the mission that he did in the past. In that mission, he needed to face off against someone who could freely control packs of owls, and this scene reminds him of those owls.

The eyes starts to bleed, and the faces became demonic. The next moment, all those faces screeches at the same time, and Itachi is forced to cover his face with his cloak due to the wind from the screeched. After they finished screeching, Itachi merely dusted himself off, and then he stares passively at those carvings.

The carvings sneered at him when they realized that he was not affected in the slightest bit by their intimidations. The carvings of the angels then starts trashing around, and then they managed to break free from the wall, albeit only their upper bodies. One of the stone angels threw its spear towards him with a speed that almost equaled that of a speed of sound, and the next moment Itachi is horribly impaled.

The stone angels and other carvings let out gleeful screeches, but it only last a moment before they heard a voice which belongs to a certain man.

"I shall ask this only once. Who made you?" Itachi passively asked.

All the carvings and the stone angels frantically searched around for the source of the voice. When they could not see his whereabouts, they turned their attention back to the man supposedly dead body. However, suddenly that body exploded into hundreds of shurikens and kunais, which embedded itself in most of the carvings and statues, except for the Christ carving.

When they saw that his attack has no effect on them, they began to arrogantly screech even harder. None of them realized, however, that all of the shurikens and kunais are tied with explosive tags. Their screeches were abruptly stopped when the tags exploded and shattered their bodies. Rubbles were sent flying everywhere, heads made of stone fell to the ground and shattered, some of the ceilings collapse because of the shockwaves and parts of the catacomb are engulfed with fires which radiate intense heat.

The sole remaining thing that is intact is the carving of the Christ, which is currently looking at the scene in front of it with a face full of fear, a direct contrast to its previous arrogant look. However, it is understandable why it looks so fearful.

It could not believe what it sees. Its armies which consist of thousands of loyal followers, which grew bigger with each passing years, were destroyed in an instant just like that. Even though many exorcists had come in the past, they ultimately shared the same fate. To be killed and joined their ranks. That was also its thought when it saw the brat appear. From his smell alone, it knew that the brat is a human.

It was confident that not even angels could possibly defeat them. But here, a single brat, a single _human _brat, has managed to destroy them like it was merely a walk in the park. And to make matter worse, this human brat is currently staring at its face with a very emotionless face like he merely taking his time to decide whether he should retract his question earlier, and immediately killed it. The brat then opened his mouth.

"Well? What's your answer?" Itachi asked with a very calm voice.

It could only tremble as the brat look at it with eyes that seems to originate from the deepest pit of hell. It then sees that the brat suddenly sighed and tiredly massage his glabella. Due to survival instinct, it decided to give the brat the answer that he seeks. However, both its and the brat's attentions were diverted when they heard a crumbling sound from the floor on the center of the catacomb.

Itachi's eyes widen as he finally see what truly lies in this catacomb.

There are bones. Bones of many sizes and kinds. Human bones, animal bones, devil bones, children bones, adult bones, elderly bones, and so on. There are thousands of them, maybe more. Many are old, but many also look recent. And it's not only on the center of the catacomb. Beneath the hallway, and even on the walls, everything is decorated with bones.

"…I see….." Itachi muttered as he finally understood what he is facing.

Slowly, he turned his head to face the carving of the Christ again, and the carving, for the first time in its long, long existence, feels fear. Itachi intensely glared at the carving with his eyes shifted into Mangekyo sharingan.

It is not the first time he sees something like this. No, in fact he had seen even crueler things in his life as a shinobi.

However, that does not mean he has to like it.

That does not mean it makes it any better.

That does not mean it is acceptable.

That does not mean he would forgive it.

The dead could not carry on their own retribution. They could not even ask for it. Thus, it falls to those who are alive to delivered punishment to the wrongdoers.

Itachi merely glared at the carving for a moment, while the carving itself could only continue to tremble, before he opened his mouth.

"I'm not usually one who does this kind of things, however…" began Itachi with a very cold voice. "For the sake of those whom you had sacrificed to maintain that life of yours, I shall deliver judgment upon you" finished Itachi as his right eye began to spin rapidly.

The next moment, the carving is engulfed with black flames which quickly spread as it follows the direction where Itachi stared at. Then the black flames moved to the rest of the catacomb, and began to eat away its fellow flames.

The carving let out an agonized scream as its body is slowly burned away. It tried to speak, to beg for mercy, however, with all of its lower body and some part of its upper body completely burned, it could only continue its screaming.

Itachi regarded the being in front of him for a moment, before he makes haste to get out of the catacomb, lest he becomes a victim of his own 'Amaterasu'. He tried to make a magic circle to teleport himself out of the catacomb; however his eyes widen in surprised when he saw that something jammed it, rendering the magic circle inaccessible. Frustrated, he decided to use 'Kamui' to teleport himself away, however, because it took longer time to teleport himself than other objects, not to mention he has not yet fully mastered said technique and with the place collapsing rapidly, he scraped away that idea.

So, he decided to do this the usual way, he ran. He quickly ran up through the burning hallway, however, he then saw that the entrance has disappeared, because it was blocked by rubbles, the result of the shockwaves from his explosions.

"_Is there no other exit?" _thought Itachi as he frantically searched around.

He then noticed a hole on the roof. It is a small hole, but with his thin frame, he should be able to pass through it without any trouble. However, it's what surrounding said hole, which makes it a difficult task to pass the hole.

"_Is this what they mean when they said 'you reap what you sow'?" _thought Itachi with a dry humor.

True, what surrounds the hole is his very own flame of Amaterasu. The flame has spread to the ceilings and if he does not quickly decide what to do, then the hole will be covered with the black flames. Itachi then decided to stop thinking about it, since he has no other option left. So, he runs as fast as he could and jump high into the ceiling, or rather into the hole. Right, after he entered that hole, the flames of Amaterasu completely engulfed the catacomb, and destroyed everything within.

Itachi quickly climb through the hole while being chased by his very own technique. He really could not help but has a wry smile on his face, at the thought of being killed by the technique that he casted himself. It would be ironic for someone who was hailed as one of the greatest geniuses of the Uchiha clan to die, because of his own silly mistake.

"_There's the light" _thought Itachi calmly as he increased his speed. The next moment, he climbed out of the ground just in time to avoid the flame which shot out from the hole. He then quickly flashes several hand seals, and used an earth technique to bury the hole, lest his 'Amaterasu' might continue to spread. He sighed a bit, and then he noticed that it's already night time, and that he is currently standing on a cemetery.

He looks around to see if there's anyone who saw what had just occurred, and when he sees none, he let out a relieved breath. One of his crows then suddenly flies to his direction, and he held up his hand so that his crow could land.

"Any news?" asked Itachi as he locked eyes with the crow. When he sees that the crow did not find any clue regarding the whereabouts of 'the shard of Zarathustra', he starts to massage his glabella.

"_Now then…. What should I do next?" _thought Itachi. He began to formulate his next moves; however a subtle tug from his chest caught his attention.

…**.**

"Good 'Morning' to you too" Itachi sarcastically replied.

…

"I'm not angry. I am simply…._amazed_…that you could 'sleep' all day, and even through all those things that happened just now" Itachi answered with a slight edge in his voice.

…**..**

"It's nothing, really. I was simply attacked by a gargoyle, almost got trapped inside an underground catacomb, and almost got killed by my own technique. And throughout those ordeals, something inside me was 'sleeping' without any care to the world. So really, it was nothing" explained Itachi with half closed eyes.

…**..**

"No. It's not that kind of medieval gargoyle…"

…

"It was shaped as a carving on a wall instead of a statue, and its purpose was also different…"

…**.**

"Gargoyle…its purpose is similar to a stone golem. The only reason someone would create a gargoyle was to protect something, however…."

…**.**

"The one that I encountered in the catacomb had the purpose of 'collecting' rather than 'protecting'…" explained Itachi.

…**..**

"The reason I knew all of this is because I've read it in one of the research books inside the Professor's library…" answered Itachi.

…

"Understandable. Seeing that you were always 'sleeping' the moment I entered his library, it is not strange you didn't know that I read his research …" stated Itachi with a matter of factly tone.

…**.**

Itachi flatly stared at his chest due to its frantic attitude, and then he let out an audible sighed.

"If my guess is correct, then it collected souls of all living beings that it encountered. It killed them and stored it inside its body" answered Itachi. "But that gargoyle was also a bit special…"

…

"It was….alive…." trailed Itachi while frowning slightly.

…

"I don't know how something like that is possible, however, based on my encountered with it, I deduce that it somehow became alive due to some sort of side effect from accumulating all those souls" explained Itachi.

…

"That was merely the first hypothesis" Itachi answered as he held up his chin. "It might also be possible that it was infused with a soul of a living being at the time of its creation…" deduced Itachi. "But that's not the troublesome part".

…**.**

Itachi took a small breath and then he proceeds to explain what he saw. "That gargoyle had somehow found a way to infuse other inanimate objects within the catacomb with the souls inside it, and increased his ranks. I don't know whether it was merely a basic survival instinct or that it was somehow developed a complex thought patterns, but whichever it was, it does not bode well if there are others that are similar to it" said Itachi.

…

"No. It's not all that bad…" began Itachi. "The fact that there was a gargoyle here means that there _is _something in this city. I don't know whether it is the Shard of Zarathustra, or anything else, but…"

…**..**

"If what I think is correct, whoever created this gargoyle is on the same location as this item…." finished Itachi.

…**.**

"The problem is….where to start?" said Itachi with a small sigh. "I've found nothing from the ground and the air…. Which means..." trailed Itachi as his face slowly shows an expression of utter displeasure.

…

"It's time we go back to the basic…" said Itachi as he slowly closed his eyes.

…**.**

"We ask the locals" Itachi instantly answered.

He really dislikes this option. It's not that he did not like asking around. It's that even the simple action of asking might change the fate of the person whom he asked. It's like a ripple effect. His simple action would've distorted the fate of the person slightly, but then the person whom fate he distorted would distort another person's fate, and so on. Something that was originally small and insignificant would continuously grow until it is capable to distort even the entire world.

That was the sole reason why he did not freely interact with people that he does not know, and went to a great length to erase their memories about him, even if it was just a simple conversation. Even with people that he does know, he still exercised caution, to make sure that he is able to control the growth of the distortion and deviation.

The only exception to this is the Professor, for he is the only one who is able to lend a hand to Itachi and vice versa, due to their similar situations.

…**..**

"We ask them if there was something significant happened in this city. That will be the starting point" said Itachi.

…

"I don't like this any more than you do, however, we are running out of option and time" Itachi said as he slowly opened his eyes.

…**.**

"Because of the explosion, the Shroud of Turin on my body and face are damaged, and we don't have any spare left. Surely you don't want to be exposed, right?" replied Itachi.

…**..**

"Then we have to do this" Itachi stated with his expression hardened.

Itachi began to walk away from the cemetery, while thinking which place might be the best information site. However, so immerse in his thought that Itachi does not notice the presence of blood red eyes which has been observing him for a while, and it even saw what the young man had done to its creation.

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**[Training camp site]**

Meanwhile, at the same time as Itachi's adventure in the catacomb, the occult research club is…..

"Come on, Issei! It's just a little more!" encouraged Rias.

Right now the occult research club is having an extensive training as a preparation for the fight against Raiser. As one would expect from a training camp events, there will always be at least one person who was late to come to the appointment place. And as promised by Rias, anyone who was late must ran through the mountain several times while carrying an extra load on their back, in the form of a huge boulder.

"B-Buchou! Please! Let me rest a bit!" pleaded Issei while looking at Rias with the usual 'please spare me' look. It is understandable why he pleaded like that, after all, he looks like a fruit that has it juices squeezed out entirely, and left out to dry under the sun. No, perhaps, it is more correct to say that he looks more of a mummy than a healthy young man.

Rias thought about this for a bit, and then she smiled beatifically at Issei. Issei felt that all the energy that he lost suddenly returned when he saw that smile; however, Rias' next word dispelled all of it.

"No" said Rias simply.

"Buchou~!" Issei began to cry again.

While the fiasco between Rias and Issei continued, the four people which are currently doing their individual trainings began to chat between themselves.

"A-ano…Akeno-san? Was it really alright for me to not receive the same punishment as Issei-san?" Asia innocently asked. Akeno merely giggled at her junior's question, and then she proceeds to explain Rias' reasoning.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. Asia-chan, don't worry about that~. Even thought it was Asia-chan's fault that made Issei-kun late to arrive…" began Akeno. Asia could feel hot nails stabbing her heart due to the jovial way Akeno has stated her fault. "…however, Asia-chan simply does not fit with the type of training that Issei-kun's doing right now~" finished Akeno with a small smile. Asia merely blinks twice, before she recovered from her sorry state.

"E-eeeeh? Training? So it's not a punishment?" asked Asia, which made Akeno to shakes her head slightly.

"You see, Asia-chan. There's no difference between training and punishment, since Buchou intended to put Issei-kun through the same training course. It was merely moved forward" explained Akeno. There is a glint of confusion on Asia's face, and then she decided to ask for clarification.

"So, basically….even if Issei-san was not late, Buchou-san would still put Issei-san through 'that'?" asked Asia as she pointed at the miserable figure of Issei on the distance.

Somehow, there are now two boulders instead of one on Issei's back. He looks like an ordinary person who is forced to withstand the weight of a heavyweight class wrestler. With runny nose, and his temples bulging out, the only thing that keeps his body and spirit to continue moving forward is the rare opportunity to look at Rias' underwear.

That's right, underwear. For some strange reason that not even Rias herself could comprehend, she decided to wear her tennis garb. However, unknown to Issei, she doesn't wear her underwear, but instead a sport short. This is due to the conversation that she had with Itachi, regarding the appropriateness of wearing a short when she dons a miniskirt. In that conversation, Itachi _lectured _her and Akeno that, unless they wear something more appropriates under those miniskirts, then he would not participate in whatever it was that they asked him to join. However, both girls had managed to found a loophole on Itachi's words, but it has somehow become a habit for them to wear short instead. Not that they have lost their intentions to exposed said loophole to Itachi mind you.

"_Just a bit more!" _Issei excitedly thought. Rias, seeing her pawn tried so hard could not help but smile happily, and then she began to encourage him even more.

"That's right Issei! You can do it!" Rias encouraged without knowing what Issei's true intention was.

"_Just a bit more! Just a bit more!" _screamed Issei in his head as he put even more effort on his crawling. Seeing this scene, the rest of Rias' peerage also gave their support to Issei.

"Issei-san! You can do it!" shouted Asia. Ah, the innocent Asia, if only you know what Issei's true intention is.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. Issei-kun, if you managed reach Buchou, I'm sure you will be rewarded nicely~" said Akeno. Issei's spirit flared up upon hearing Akeno's words, and he already imagined the Shangri-La that awaits him after this ordeal.

"Oh? He seems oddly excited. Anyway, good luck Issei-kun" said Yuuto with his usual gentlemanly smile. 'I don't need your support, you prince charming bastard!' was what Issei wanted to yelled. However, because his breathings are erratic, and his body tired as it is, he could not yell at Yuuto.

"…..Issei senpai looks like a cockroach…." said Koneko with a matter of factly tone. Ouch. Issei could feel his pride and dignity as a man shattered, because of Koneko's words. However, even with bloods streaming down from his eyes, and his heart's cracking, he continue to advance. After all, Shangri-La is waiting right in front of him.

"_Just a bit more! Just a bit more! Just a bit more!" _thought Issei as he continued to crawl. He could see angels – sorry, devils, flying around Rias' skirt, and inviting him to peek inside. _"This is iiiii-_EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH?!" Issei suddenly screamed, which made everyone surprised.

"Issei! What's wrong?!" asked Rias. She then sees that Issei shakily point towards her, or rather, her skirt while having a betrayed face.

"B-B-Buchou?! W-w-why are you wearing short?" asked Issei while his head is slowly begin to shake unnaturally.

"Eh? Because, Itachi told me to" Rias answered simply. The color of Issei's skin slowly turned pale white. He looks like a person who has completely lost all drive to live, but then he began to tremble, and magical energy starts to leak out from his body, or more accurately, from his left hand.

"Ggrrrraaaaaahh!" Issei began to scream, and his Boosted Gear is now activated. "Buchou!" screamed Issei.

"Y-yes?" Rias asked with a slightly unnerved feeling due to Issei's sudden outburst.

"Please tell me where this Itachi guy is! I must see him!" yelled Issei. Rias could only blink twice at what her paw just said.

"Why do you want to meet Itachi?" asked Rias with a raised eyebrow.

"I need to set things straight with him! I must have a man-to-man's talk with him!" declared Issei with furry on his eyes.

"W-why?" asked Rias.

"He must be set straight! What kind of man would reject the pleasure of seeing underwear under miniskirts? What kind of man would tell a woman to wear a short under their tennis skirt? I MUST show him the way of a true (perverted) man!" declared Issei, which makes everyone, except Asia and Koneko, to sweat drop.

The next thing that happened, Koneko punched Issei so hard that he was sent flying into the sky for half a minute before he finally crashed to the ground, head first. Koneko looks at the fallen form of Issei with a cross mark on her face, a sign that she was truly anger.

Issei could only lay defeated, while Asia quickly goes to his side and begin healing him. The rest of them, on the other hand, could only continue to sweat dropped while watching this particular scene.

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**[Wallachia – Buzau]**

"It's here…" muttered Itachi.

It has been a day since he began looking for information, and the information that he obtained has led him here. He is passively staring at a river; however, this river is not just any river. It is said that a saint by the name of Sabbas the Goth had been drown in this river around the 4th century. Just that simple information of a saint died by being drown was more than enough to roused Itachi's suspicion.

The fact that there was someone who was supposedly a saint made him questioned himself again as to why this city seems to lack any magical energy. Not to mention, a saint supposed to emit a holy element which is far greater than ordinary human, which in turn would left a residual magic on the air that could not be extinguished easily, even if it was left behind a long time ago. Itachi began to suspect that whoever made the gargoyle that he encountered the previous day, must be the one who had done something to all those magic.

The only thing that he could do at the moment is to inspect the site where said Saint was killed, however, just like the previous day, he could not find anything.

"_There is nothing" _Itachi thought as he walks around the riverbank. "_No… the fact that there is nothing, means that there must be something wrong here…"_ deduced Itachi as he slowly activated his sharingan.

The next thing that happens, Itachi could feel the itches returned to his eyes. He began to rub his eyes, but then he realized something, something that he had missed yesterday.

"_Wait... What if…" _Itachi thought as he slowly shifted his sharingan into his Mangekyo sharingan. His eyes immediately widen at what he sees.

There are markings everywhere. It's not the type of markings where one could find in religions. No, this is the type of markings which belongs to the practitioners of dark arts, and Itachi realized that there must be a devil near here, a stray one most likely.

He focused his sight, but then the itches intensified and he is forced to rub his eyes even harder. He looks back at the markings, but then he feels like his eyes has deceived him. This is because, the markings had changed form. It was originally formed like some sort of magic circle, but now it has change into a form of an arrow.

Itachi slowly follows the direction where the arrows are pointed to, and then he noticed that all arrows are pointed to the same spot. And in that spot, stood a tree. A withered tree, yet somehow it looks like no matter what kind of attack done to it, no matter what disaster came to it, it will keep standing tall.

And that same tree, for some reason seems to call out to him.

"…" Itachi warily walks closer to the tree, and after a moment of hesitation, he touched it with his right hand.

….

…

…..

"…..Hm….." Nothing happened. There was no hidden entrance to another world, there was no artifact coming out of a tree, there was not a single event. Itachi thought about this for a bit, but it seems he had fallen into a trick of a prankster.

"_What a waste of time…"_ thought Itachi while sighing at the same time. However, he then noticed one thing. His hand remains glued to the tree. He narrowed his eyes and tried to move it, but it remains unbudge. He then tried to step back, but he could not move his feet. Slowly, he looks down, and then for a second his expression turned into one of utter surprise. Well, everyone would have that kind of expression if they see their feet slowly sink into the ground, right?

He infused his legs with chakra, and tried to break free from its hold, but it was a futile attempt. Suddenly, ripples appeared on the airs around him, and it's growing in number and size, from small to large. He quickly analyzed the ripples and noted that it seems to distort the environment around him. No, in his opinion, it is more accurate to say that right now he is being spirited into another dimension.

Itachi quickly flashes several hand seals with his left hand, but the sound of something growing caught his attention. He looks at the river, and noted that the volume of the water seems to increase rapidly. Then the sound becomes more apparent, and then Itachi finally realized what produced that sound.

"_This is bad!" _thought Itachi as he looks at the incoming wave of water in front of him. He then heard another similar sound from behind him, and he turned his head so he could take a look. His eyes widen as he sees another wave coming from behind him. He quickly flashes another hand seals, but the waves let out unnatural screams (well, the fact that waves could screams was already unnatural), which forced him to painfully grip his head.

"_It's…coming!" _thought Itachi painfully. The next moment, the motions of those waves became similar to a snake, and its color changed into blood red. Itachi could only brace for the impact, and then those waves hit him and washed him away. Itachi hold his breath for a moment and tried to perform a hand seal, but the sheer pressure of the water caused him to slowly lose his consciousness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Training camp mansion]**

Rias, in her night gown, is staring at the moon with longing in her eyes. She reminisces about those nights, the night when she and Itachi used to sleep together. Things used to be so simple and easy for her. At that time, she did not understand her position as the heir of the Gremory clan. At that time, she was content to live her life innocently. She was content to simply be together with Itachi and her friends.

However, reality suddenly shoved itself to her. That she could not live like that forever. That she was the princess of the Gremory clan, before she was Rias. That she is not allowed to live her life as she wished it. That she is not even be allowed to spend the rest of her life happily with the man that she loves.

The simple thought that she would forever be separated from Itachi was enough to brought tears to her eyes. She quickly wiped the tears which gather in her eyes, but then she noticed the presence of another person.

"Who's there?" asked Rias. Slowly, the person came out from the shadow, and she sigh when it turns out to be Issei.

"Umm. Buchou, sorry to disturb you…" Issei sheepishly apologized.

"Its fine, Issei" assured Rias with a smile. "So…why are you here?" asked Rias. Issei's expression suddenly turned serious.

"…..Buchou…."

"…Yes?" asked Rias, wondering why Issei seems so serious.

"Were you crying just now?" asked Issei. Rias raised her eyebrows, because she never thought that her pawn would ask that kind of question. She wanted to deny it, but for some reason, she felt that she needs to be more honest with herself. So, she flashed a small sad smile to Issei, and gave him her answer.

"Yes. Yes, I was crying" Rias admitted.

"Why, Buchou?" asked Issei. He does not like seeing his Buchou looking like this, so he wanted to know the true cause of her distress.

"Issei, what would you feel if you have someone that you love, but you are not allowed to be with her?" Rias enigmatically asked.

"I would feel….Ah" Realization dawned upon him, and he looks at Rias who is currently staring at him with a smile on her face.

"Yes…exactly" confirmed Rias. "I could not help, but feels afraid whenever I thought about the incoming match, and the consequence of it should I fail to win"

"The…consequence? You mean marrying Raizer? Is that what you're scared of?" asked Issei. Rias merely shakes her head slightly, before she opened her mouth.

"No. What I'm scared of…is the fact that I will not be able to live with Itachi again" answered Rias. Issei could feel a rush of jealousy when he saw the way Rias' addressed that name, and the fact that she seems to hold him very dearly.

"Well, isn't he a jerk then? Letting you faced this alone, instead of helping you" complained Issei.

Itachi _is _helping Rias in his own way. Even though he was advised to cut all his ties to his friends, but he still troubled himself by ensuring that Rias would obtain all the help that she might need. One of the examples is Issei himself. He inserted the Boosted Gear and deliberately set things up so that he would end up being Rias' servant, all for the sake of helping Rias. If only he could moves freely, then he might not need to make Issei the Sekiryuutei. He might not need to use such roundabout methods to help his friends.

Issei was prepared to be reprimanded by Rias, but instead of anger, she only looks at Issei the way a mother look at her son.

"Yes. Yes, you're absolutely right. He is a jerk, isn't he?" began Rias with an amused smile. "Making a girl waiting for him like this. Charming every single girl that he met. Being completely oblivious to my feelings for him. Really, I might even say that he is a total jerk" said Rias with a small laugh.

"Then why-!" Issei could not say what he wanted to say, because Rias interrupted him.

"But you know what Issei? Even if he is like that – no, it's because he is the person that he is, is the reason why he is the Itachi that I love" said Rias.

"Why…? Why do you love him so much, Buchou?" asked Issei while trembling. He knows that Rias loved this Itachi, but he could not help but to be jealous of the lucky guy who received Rias love. Rias merely regarded Issei for a moment, before a small nostalgic expression decorated her face.

"You know Issei? It was also a day of the full moon, when I was first met him" began Rias as she starts to recount her early memories with Itachi. "When I first saw him, he looks like a boy who had been thrust into an unknown world, and it made me feels like it was my responsibility to protect that fragile boy" continued Rias. Rias then took a deep breath as she trying to voice the memory of that particular day.

"But then you know what happened? Instead of me being the one who protected him, he was the one who protected me instead. When I saw his bloodied form, the only thing that I could think of was 'Ah, please don't die. I want to play together with you again'. And from that moment, I had always been together with him to make sure that he did not do anything reckless. But, Issei… I then realized that wasn't it at all. It was merely an excuse to be with him" Rias admitted as she slowly looks down.

"So what? If you want to be with him, then what's wrong with that?" asked Issei. Surprisingly, Rias seems to ignore Issei's question and simply took her time watching the moon, before she continue to speak.

"That's not it. Indeed, I want to be with him. However, more so than anything else, I want to be there for him" answered Rias.

"To be there…for him?" Issei slowly asked

"Yes. To be there for him. That is what I want" answered Rias with a smile. Seeing her pawn's confusion, Rias merely giggle for a moment, before she decides to explain the reason for her resolve. "It's because he has that kind of eyes Issei" said Rias.

"What kind of… eyes?" Issei asked, unsure what Rias was trying to imply.

"His eyes, you see… It seems to carry the weight that no other person could carry. At first, I did not understand why he has that kind of eyes. But as I grew up and spent time together with him, I finally understood why he has that kind of eyes…" trailed Rias.

"Why, Buchou?" asked Issei.

"It's because of us" began Rias. "The reason why he has that kind of eyes is because, he constantly thought about us, protecting us, watching over us…and…be there for us" explained Rias. "That is why…I don't want to simply be with him. I want to be there for him this time. So that he knows that he has a place where he can return to. So that when that firm person that I know finally exhausted himself, I could soothe him" declared Rias with a smile and a blush forming on her cheeks.

"…" Issei could only fell silent after hearing Rias' declaration. Although he was jealous of this Itachi, but he could not help but admired Rias' resolve. And so, he also made his resolve.

"Buchou!"

"Yes?" asked Rias while tilting her head slightly.

"I will do my best! In the rating game, I will do everything I could to make sure that you win!" declared Issei. Rias looks at her pawn's eyes for a moment, before she covered her mouth.

"Uhuhu~. Acting all serious like that really doesn't suit you, Issei" teased Rias while trying to hold back her laughter.

"B-Buchou! I'm serious!" Issei protested with his face became red from embarrassment.

"I know. Thank you, Issei" said Rias with a smile full of gratitude. Issei looks captivated by Rias' smile, and then he dashed back into the mansion while thinking how cute her smile was.

Rias looks at the running form of Issei with a small smile on her lips, before she turned her eyes back to the moon. As she looks at the moon, she then muttered….

"Yes. I must not lose. To secure my future with Itachi" muttered Rias with a very intense gaze.

She then brought her hand to her forehead, and the next thing that happens is…

POKE

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx

**[?]**

Itachi could hear a voice of water flowing. He could feel the hard sensation of a ground. However, his mind is still in a jumbled, due to being washed away by high pressured water. His body naturally tried to focus his mind to the voice and the sensation, and slowly his consciousness returned.

"*Cough* *Cough* Where *Cough* am I?" Itachi weakly muttered as he gasped for air.

He still could not see properly where he is, and his body feels hurt like he has been trashed around. He tiredly tried to stand up, but his legs feels too weak to support him. He took a deep breath, and tried once more. Slowly, he stood up, and then he focused his eyes. Gradually, his sight return to normal and he could finally see where he is. However, what lies in front of him is even enough to incite an expression of pure shock on the face of a man of Itachi's caliber.

"What…is….this?" Itachi muttered with disbelief visible on his voice and face.

What lay in front him are rows of trees, and a field stretching beyond what eyes can see. However, do not think of it as one of those plain field and trees. It does not mean that the field and the trees are dead though. No, in fact, it's very full of life.

Yes. Full of living humans that were made into trees and planted into the plain that is.

Itachi could not believe what he is seeing. Never before he encountered such, such _gruesomely _scene. People were forcefully bound to each other using a string, a spiked string made of metal. Human's heads stick out from the ground, and their heads are shoved into either the belly or the anus to connect them together, before being reinforced with the string, and formed the foundation for a tree.

He slowly looks up, and as he turned his head upwards, he saw how these people's skins were stretched far beyond its normal limit with wired hooks, which also serves to connect their skins together. Their skins become a cover for the tree, similar to how a tree's barks cover their inner parts.

He then gaze at the leaves, or rather what constitute the leaves. His eyes widen in shock as he sees men and women are being bundled together to become leaves. And as if that wasn't enough, bloods are practically dripping from those leaves, and into the ground, as if to say that those bloods are the fertilizers.

Itachi then directed his gaze into the plain and then he noticed that those rocks that he saw were not rocks at all. Rather than rocks, it is more accurate to call it human mouths that were fashioned into rocks. He then took a step into the plain, but he accidentally stepped onto the grass, which prompt him to look down, because of the cracking voice.

However, what he stepped onto was not a grass at all. No, it was a finger. He slowly looks ahead and saw that what supposedly grass turned out to be fingers. The next moment, a scream came out from the ground under him. Itachi does not want to believe it, but his ears never failed him, and he was sure that he heard a scream from beneath him. This means that the owner of these – no, the owners of all those fingers are still alive.

"…" Itachi silently look back towards the trees and begun to wonder just how many people are actually here. He then noticed the river on the distance, and decided to check it. He began to run and after he arrived on the riverbank, what he saw would make most people threw up immediately.

The water of the river is blood. However, it is what inside the water which makes it extremely nauseating. There are eyes, hearts, and all sorts of organs there. And as if that wasn't enough, all those organs are pulsating, like they were never been separated from its owners.

Itachi feels a wave of dizziness attacks him, because of the horrid stench. He tried to adjust his bandages on his face again, but then he finally noticed it.

"_It's broken…" _thought Itachi as the bandages on his face slowly falls to his hand. He then checks the bandage on his body, and then he let out a relieved sigh, when he feels that it still intact – for the moment. He contemplate about his next move for a moment, and then he noticed that his surrounding colors seems to become more….purplish?

He looks up to see if there's something that blocked the sun, but he could only stare dumbfoundedly as he sees the sun is slowly changing color to black. His moments of wonders was cut short, however, when he felt an immense dreaded feeling, which seems to come from the sky.

"What is that?" muttered Itachi as the dread continue to washed over him, and even numbed his warning bell.

The object which radiates the dreaded feeling finally descends low enough for him to see what it is. However, he certainly did not expect what he is going to see.

Itachi's eyes widen as he saw the object, or rather, the _being _which radiates this insane dreaded feeling. It is humanoid, and possess a similar built to a human, however the similarities ends there. It has a pair of massive bat-like wings that stretch more than thirty meters. Those same wings are what keeping it suspended in the air. It has two dragon-like hands, which seems more of a human if not for those scales. However, its greatest trait is the goat-like lower body and head, with two pairs of massive horns protruding from said head.

The being sat with its legs crossed, and does not seem to mind Itachi's presence. In fact, it looks more like someone who is just enjoying the view of his beloved garden, except the garden is far more _bizarre._

Itachi knew what this being is. He read it in one of the Professor's books. This particular being has been recorded since ancient times as a harbinger of destruction and discord. And he knew that he must exercise extreme caution in front of this being. However, his musing was abruptly halted when he felt the gaze of the being upon him. Itachi looks up, and then he locked eyes with the being blood red eyes, which radiates immense power.

"**A nice view…don't you think?"** asked the being while gesturing towards the field. **"It took me a long time to cultivate this land, and planted the 'plants', but in the end, it's worth it" **the being said without any regard towards what it has just implied.

"If by 'plants' you mean all these people…then I would say, you do not understand the word 'gardening', don't you think so? Super devil - no, _True _devil….Baphomet!" Itachi declared the name of the being loudly with anger in his voice. The being merely strokes its beard, before letting out a hearty laugh.

"_**True **_**Devil**_**…**_**eh? Hmm…that title seems fit to describe my involvement with the world as the true progenitor of the devils... However, I could not say the same for the name 'Baphomet'…" **trailed Baphomet while continue to stroke his beard.

"What do you mean?" questioned Itachi as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"**Throughout the countless ages, humanity was the one who decided what my name would be. My name would change every single time, and right now the world knows me with the name 'Baphomet' simply because humans had decided to call me as such" **answered Baphomet.

"….." Itachi merely contemplates about this piece of information, but then his attention is diverted when he starts to laugh again.

""**Enough about that. The reason I went out to trouble myself to bring you here, was not for you to have petty chit-chats with me!" **declared Baphomet loudly, which made Itachi raised his eyebrows. **"So? What do you think? Artistic is it not? Tell me, with those eyes of yours, do you see any way I could improve this garden of mine?" **asked Baphomet as he moves his head closer to Itachi. Itachi eyes narrowed even further at what the being said.

"My eyes? You mean the sharingan? How do you know about it? No, let me rephrase it. How long have you been watching me?" asked Itachi with his eyes changed into his sharingan.

"**Well, since you entered this region. I know about those eyes of yours, because I saw you used it to destroy that annoying failed product. So, I believe I owe you a word of gratitude" **said Baphomet as he bowed his head slightly.

"_Used it against his failed…product? The gargoyle?"_ thought Itachi. "You were the one who made that gargoyle?"

"**Ah…yes. Annoying little twit that thing is. I made it to gather new 'plants' for my garden, and instead it went haywire and began to collect those bodies for itself. Just imagine… All those bodies that could have become fine additions to my garden, wasted just like that. If I could, I would've destroyed it myself, but seeing that to step out of this place means death, I could not do a single thing" **explained Baphomet.

"I' see" Itachi slowly said. "Why are you doing this? Don't you know that-!" Itachi was interrupted before he could finish what he wanted to say.

"**Don't give me that crap about human lives being wasted" **Baphomet began with his gaze intensified. Itachi could feel the air around him becomes heavier and he has difficulties standing straight. **"Human, you see….is similar to cattle, something to be played with and harvested by those who held even greater powers. Don't you dare say that human lives are more important than that, not when you've sacrificed other beings to stay alive, not when you've killed your own brethren, right…Uchiha Itachi?" **

Itachi's eyes widen at what Baphomet was implying, and then he looks at the being with disbelief.

"How did you…"

"**I simply needs to look at a being eyes to see their entire history up to that point in time. I know that you are not of this world, I know that there is something inside of you, and I know that just like me, you are a victim of that bastard" **answered Baphomet.

"…What?"

"**As I said, I know that you are not of…."**

"No, the last part…" Itachi immediately corrected his word. Baphomet realized what Itachi wanted to know, so he stroked his beard again, before he tells him that story.

"…**.Once, twin entities existed. These entities were very similar, yet they were also very different. The older one existed solely to bring order and illuminated the world. On the other hand, the younger one existed solely to bring chaos and plunged the world into darkness" **began Baphomet. **"However, despites being different in purposes and natures, the two siblings got along well, for they knew that they completed each other. Without chaos, there would be no order. Without order, there will be no chaos. And thus the world achieved balance" **Baphomet stopped for a moment to make sure that Itachi is still following the conversation. When he sees that Itachi still paying attention, he took a deep breath. **"Yet, those moments did not last long…" **trailed Baphomet.

"What happened?" asked Itachi. He needs every single bit of information regarding 'it' if he wants to stop it for good. No matter how small, every single one is vital.

"**That bastard came. He came without warning. Just suddenly appeared from thin air, and spouted nonsense about how the system would become even more fun of a place if the balance was destroyed. At that time, the two entities did not understand what he was talking about, and he said that it was fine for nothing in the system could ever understand. They regarded him simply as a mad being, however, things then turned for the worst"** said Baphomet as his expression darkened and his gaze intensified even further.

"**The older of the twin entities was killed, no, rather than killed; he was utterly annihilated without a trace. Even though, both siblings possessed powers that could obliterate the world many times, even though, they fought him together, but none of those had any effect on that bastard. He did not even brush it as inconvenient. He merely stood there like a statue while looking bored, as if to say what they did was a mere joke. And you know what, it was indeed a mere joke. Despite all their efforts and strengths, it took only one slight movement from that bastard to annihilate the older entity and gravely injured the younger one" **finished Baphomet as he shows Itachi the injury that he received from that battle. It was a massive scar which extends from his right shoulder down to his left waist. However, the weird part is that the scar still looks brand new, as if it is something that would never heal.

Itachi contemplates about this for a moment, and then he asks the question that had been bugging his mind.

"What is his name?" asked Itachi. Your opponent name will always be your greatest ally when you faced someone, or something, for it helps you to research about your enemy weaknesses.

"**I don't know. I didn't ask him" **Baphomet simply replied. **"But I do know what he looks like"**

"Please…tell me" demanded Itachi with a very serious voice. Baphomet sigh a bit, before he proceeds to open his mouth.

"**He looks like an old hermit with a massive head. He wore a ragged piece of cloth, and he hold a wooden staff on one hand. He was very skinny and short, almost as short as children. And his eyes were hollow. However, there was this 'ethereal' atmosphere around him, as if he wasn't supposed to be here, as if he was not **_**complete**_**" **finished Baphomet.

"I see…"

"**I won't count on those bits of pieces of information if I were you" **Baphomet interrupted Itachi's train of thought with his advised.

"What do you mean?" asked Itachi, puzzled as to why he could not use that information.

"**I'm not sure whether he was telling the truth, but he asked me and my brother about his appearance, and when we told him that he appeared the same to us, he said that we possessed the same mentalities"**

"What does that mean?"

"**He said that he appeared simply as how other beings perceived him to be. He said his appearance is the reflection of the mentality of those who perceived him, and that it could be perceived differently at the same time. He said that a child might see him as a fairy, a priest might see him as a God, and a God might see him as a lesser being. However, he said that it did not matter what he was perceived. What's mater was why we perceived him as such. So, when he appears to you, you might perceive him as another thing entirely" **finished Baphomet as he points a finger at Itachi.

"How could I know that it is him then?" asked Itachi. If he could not find a way identify him, it will posed a problem since he might let an opportunity slipped.

"**You WILL know when you see him. He will make you having an **_**incomprehensible feeling **_**that cannot be described" **stated Baphomet.

"…..Is that so? By the way, Baphomet-san, may I ask you a favor?"

"**If it is about those humans, then no, I won't release them" **Baphomet instantly answered like he had waited for Itachi to ask him that favor. Itachi narrowed his eyes, and intensely glare at the _true _devil.

"Why?"

"**I need the fruits that they produced to sustain this life, until I could have my revenge" **answered Baphomet like it wasn't a big deal.

"Fruits? What 'fruits'?" asked Itachi with confusion visible on his face.

"**Fruits that plant produced of course. It's delicate so it needs to be nur…."**

"I said, what 'fruits'?" asked Itachi with a very cold gaze. Anyone who saw his gaze might want to run away as far as possible, but the Baphomet only look amused at the young human intimidation.

"**You humans called it 'faiths'" **answered Baphomet with a smile. Itachi eyes widen, because he could not believe that faiths can be harvested.

"How do you even able to harvest faiths?" asked Itachi as he remains skeptical of what Baphomet said. In turn, Baphomet somehow looks disappointed by Itachi's question.

"**I thought you were smarter than this. Let me ask you, why do 'Gods' ordered humans to worship them, to have 'faith' in them?" **Baphomet asked as he held up a finger.

"…" Itachi thought about this for a moment, and then his eyes widen when realization hits him.

"**I see that you've finally understood. Yes, 'faith' is the fruit which sustained Gods; or rather it is the only sustenance that has effect on gods. No matter what any other foods they're eating, it would not affect them in the slightest. Which is why, they are very protective of 'faiths'. Which is why, they would go to great length to impose their dominions upon mortals. It is the true forbidden fruit that 'Gods' would never let humans touched it" **explained Baphomet.

"But it is not necessary to do…" Itachi's could not finish his protest, because Baphomet has deemed it necessary to interrupt him.

"**It is a matter of efficiency. Since tens of thousands of years ago, the best way to make humans to worship you has never change. It is through suffering. When humans suffered, they would pray, worship, **_**beg**_** to the Gods to relieve them of those suffering. In exchange for the faiths produced by those believes, they would grant their wishes which intensifies their faiths in Gods. However, sometimes Gods would simply hold back, until the humans could produce a higher quality of faith" **said Baphomet.

"What do you mean?"

"**Why do you think those 'Gods' told humans to be patient in their suffering? To persevere and continues to pray despite their suffering? To let them suffer despite their abilities to help them? It is because THAT is the way to temper a human's faith. The more their hearts were pushed to the brink of despair, the tastier the fruit called 'faith' would be. And the quality is also far greater than those which were produced under normal circumstances" **explained Baphomet.

"So, that's why you called us 'cattle'. However, that does not make your method justifiable" said Itachi with a glare.

"**Really? Unjustifiable was it? Well, why don't you take a closer look at those people then?" **urged Baphomet. Itachi hesitantly moved closer to one of the trees, and then his eyes widen when he saw the symbols on those people's clothes.

"This is…!"

"**Yes, the Nazi, the Japanese imperial army, the Templars, the Janissaries, the Roman empire army, the Vikings, many of the people here were soldiers, fighters, **_**killers**_** from different times, the worst kind of it too for your information" **Baphomet confirmed.

"What do you mean the 'worst' kind?" asked Itachi.

"**They share the same thing. They are…fallen" **answered Baphomet.

"Fallen?"

"**Regardless whether they claimed they fought for God, whether they claimed** **that they fought to unify the world and bring peace and stability, or whether they fought for their so called 'justice', once you fell, you are beyond salvation" **said Baphomet.

"How is it exactly that they are fallen?" Itachi asked suspiciously. Baphomet looks at the black sun for a moment, before he gives Itachi the face that seems to say 'you should know'.

"**They have no regards for other life. Many of them took joy – no, it is more correct to say that they lived solely to spill the blood of others. Many of them enjoy seeing others suffered, and would laugh at those spectacles as if they simply looking at a circus attractions. Many of them does not feel a thing when they killed others, they justified it as a mean to delivered 'justice', or to protect the world, or to accomplish their 'cause'. Those kinds of people are the worst ones, since they have lost their true selves, and be disillusioned by what the world shows them" **answered Baphomet. **"Aren't your brother the same?" **asked Baphomet.

Itachi's eyes twitch a bit, before he closed his eyes for a moment of contemplation. He then opened his eyes and his expression becomes hardened.

"True. They might be the worst, but that still does not make it justifiable" Itachi sternly said.

"**How is it unjustifiable? Punishing the wicked for their sins (while at the same time harvesting the 'faith') by torturing them, I think they've got their 'just desserts', don't you agree?" **asked Baphomet with a smile.

"No" Itachi instantly replied, which caused Baphomet to scrutinize him. "I could – would _never _accept this. Forcing them to serves you for your own pitiful end, what makes you think you were any better than them? People made mistakes, they are _not _perfect. There are moments when they would fall, but they could climb up again. All they need is a helping hand that cares to offer them the salvation that they need" stated Itachi. He then pointed a finger at Baphomet. "What you have done to them simply show me that like them, you are also 'fallen'. Isn't that right, God of Evil?" Itachi interrogated while declaring Baphomet's true title.

…..

…..

….

"**Heh"**

"?"

"**HAHAHAHAHAHA~! This is great! This is perfect! You are perfect! You've exceeded my expectations!" **declared Baphomet while he continues to laugh loudly.

"…"

"**Huhuhu~! I was wondering whether you would lose your conviction towards humanity just like the ones who came before you, but I see now that you are indeed different than them. You cannot be corrupted" **said Baphomet with a very wide smile that threaten to split his face.

"?" Itachi was confused by what he was talking about, but then suddenly black mist became visible, and he could see that this entire place is covered with this black mist. "This mist…"

"**This place is covered by this miasma that I produced. This miasma would cause people who have weak hearts, or if their convictions were wavering to 'fall'. You are the first one in twelve thousand years who managed to repel the effects of this miasma!" **declared Baphomet, seemingly proud of Itachi. Itachi merely look at Baphomet with the face that seems to say 'you finished?' which caused him to sweat dropped.

"If you have nothing more to say…"

"**Heh. Don't get pumped up just yet. You are looking for this, correct?" **asked Baphomet as a blinding light suddenly appeared between his palms, which then condensed into a piece of glass. **"The Shard of Zarathustra, or I should say, The Mirror of Ahura Mazda..." **declared Baphomet.

"!" Itachi's eyes widen as he saw the shard that seems to emit a light from within. Even though it was only the size of a human's palm, but Itachi could see the reflections of many lives, doing their everyday activities as if he is directly besides them. He narrowed his eyes, and then he forcefully ejects himself from those images.

"What…was that?" asked Itachi while panting a bit.

"**The Mirror of Ahura Mazda is a mirror of life. It shows you all the events that currently happening in the realm of the living, which practically makes anyone who hold it an omniscient being. However, light that is too great can also be corrupting. Which is why I've shown you the result that those people, the seekers of this mirror, brought to themselves when they gave up to their greed" **stated Baphomet as he pointed at the people who decorates his 'garden'.

"….So…all of them… are people who failed your trial?"

"**No. All of them…are people who lost their convictions, and let their greed controlled them. You might say that they are people who are unworthy of this mirror"** explained Baphomet.

"So, all those stuff about faiths…"

"**Ah. That one is real" **said Baphomet. He then quickly continued when he saw the look on Itachi's face. **"But, don't worry. I don't harvest their faiths like other Gods do. If I did, I wouldn't be stuck here with this injury" **said Baphomet while gesturing towards his scar.

"But all those people…"

"**Do you know where you are right now?" **asked Baphomet. Itachi merely shakes his head, because he doesn't has the slightest of clue about this place. **"Purgatory"** Baphomet said simply.

"!" Itachi's face was plastered with shock when he heard the name of this place.

"**Don't worry. You are still alive, unlike those people. Those people are in the process of purification. Their souls are being purified from all the regrets, sins and so on, before they entered the afterlife. Do you know why those people were bundling themselves together like that?" **asked Baphomet as he points at one of the human trees.

"…..No…."

"**Because no one gave them the salvations that they need when they were still alive. As a result, when they entered this place, fueled by their broken hearts, they seeks out each other, and they forcefully tied themselves like that, to make sure that someone would always be near them. So, you could say that they actually done that to themselves in order to fill the void in their hearts" **explained Baphomet. **"Even if I forcefully released them from that state, they would just crawled back and repeated it all over again" **

"…If what you said was true, then how would you explain that gargoyle?" asked Itachi with his eyes narrowed.

"**Think about it like this. Who would be most interested in obtaining something like this mirror?" **asked Baphomet with a sigh. Itachi thought about it for a moment, and then he realized who would've sent all those people to seek this mirror.

"The fallen archangel, Lucifer…." Itachi muttered.

"**Correct. He was trying to usurp the God from the Bible. Thus he needed all the aids that he could get, well, before he died that is. He sent many of his followers, humans and devils alike, to find this mirror. So, I invented that gargoyle to aid my worshippers…don't look at me like that, they worshipped me out of their own volitions" **complained Baphomet as he saw the looks that Itachi gave him. **"Anyway. As I said, I invented that gargoyle to help my worshippers, by sneakily killing that brat's force, but like I've already explained, somehow it went haywire, and because stepping out of this place means death for me, I couldn't clean up my mess. You know the rest…." **finished Baphomet.

"I see… So, even though you are extremely powerful, you are basically _useless_, huh?" said Itachi with a matter of factly tone. Baphomet could feel his pride as the _true _devil, and God of Evil being hurt so much at the moment. If he was younger, he might already throw a tantrum.

"**Don't put it like that!" **yelled Baphomet, which surprised Itachi.

"….."

"**I know I couldn't get out from this place! But it wasn't my choice you know?! But even if I explained it over and over again, those people always labeled me as a 'hikikomori', but that doesn't mean that I'm one! And I'm also not useless like a 'hikikomori'!" **cried Baphomet.

…..

….

…..

"….." Itachi sweat dropped as he saw the scene in front of him. Really, to cry because he was called useless was a bit embarrassing for a God, don't you think? Besides, Itachi is confused why he related his usele – EHEM – inability to take action in the living world, to him being labeled as a hikikomori. Itachi wonders who was it exactly that labeled Baphomet as such, and could not help but pity the _true _devil, for he knew the pains of dealing with _troublesome_ individuals who always caused misunderstanding for him.

"Baphomet-san…I think I better take the mirror with me now" said Itachi in an attempt to divert his attention back to the topic.

"**No. I won't give it to you just yet" **said Baphomet with a very serious expression.

"Why? I thought you said…"

"**I said that you are worthy, but I don't know yet whether or not you are capable of protecting this mirror against any adversary that might seeks to misuse it. I don't know yet whether you have the strength that could support that belief of yours forever" **declared Baphomet. Itachi sigh a bit, and he has nothing to say, because he could not disagree with that logic.

"So, what should I do then?" asked Itachi calmly. A devilish grin then appears on Baphomet's face.

"**It's not what you should do. It what 'we' should do" **said Baphomet with a very wide grin. Itachi simply closed his eyes for a moment, before he opened it and stares at Baphomet's face.

"How should we do this?" Itachi passively asked, because he knew what Baphomet's intentions are.

"**Until one of us is incapacitated"** Baphomet happily declared. In response, Itachi only sighed tiredly.

"Now?" asked Itachi calmly as he prepared his body.

"**Now" **replied Baphomet immediately as he descend to the ground and stood to his full height, which Itachi noted to be around five to six meters tall.

Both Itachi and Baphomet dashed towards each other with unbelievable speed, and the next moment, the clash between a human and the _true _devil commenced.

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**[Kuoh academy]**

Rias Gremory and her peerage had finished their training camp events and right now they are currently resting to revitalize their body. However, for a while now Rias has this bad feeling that something bad is currently happening to Itachi.

"Buchou. Here's your tea" said Akeno as she poured Rias the tea that she made.

"Ah. Thank you Akeno" said Rias gratefully. She took a sip of the tea, but then she noted that the tea taste bland unlike Akeno's usual tea, which taste strong. "Akeno, is there something wrong?" asked Rias.

"Ara. There's nothing wrong, Buchou. I'm fine" Akeno responded with a smile. Rias look at her skeptically, but then she noticed that somehow Akeno is looking restless. Rias rubbed her forehead, and then she noticed that Koneko hasn't even touch her tea yet.

"Koneko, are you alright?" Rias asked with concern for one of her youngest servants. Koneko merely shakes her head, and her body starts to tremble.

"….I have a very bad feeling…." muttered Koneko with a voice that is unlike her usual passive and emotionless one. She then looks back at Rias with face full of fear, something that is very unusual for Koneko. "I feel that… something bad is happening to Itachi-san…" said Koneko with a strained voice.

Rias looks at Koneko with a face full of surprise, because she never expected that her 'rook' has the same bad feeling as her. She turned her eyes to Akeno, and Akeno silently nod, as if to say that she too has that bad feeling. Rias furrowed her brows, and she brought her hands to her chest, because that sickeningly bad feeling grew even stronger every second.

"Itachi…"

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**[Purgatory]**

The sound of clash upon clash being exchanged can be heard in this place, where the agonized voice of its residents was usually the only thing that could be heard.

Itachi has activated his Mangekyo sharingan earlier, but he has difficulty to follow Baphomet's movements. Not because he moves around in such a complex manner, it's because he is simply very fast. In fact, Itachi would not argue if Baphomet claimed that he is faster than the Sekiryuutei that Itachi fought. Unlike the battle against that Sekiryuutei, unlike his brief battle with Grayfia, he could not capture Baphomet's movements, and so he is forced to rely upon his honed instinct to attack and guard's against Baphomet's attack.

"_And he is in his weakened state too…" _thought Itachi bitterly. Itachi realized that if Baphomet has his maximum strength, then the battle would turn very badly for him. He has no doubt that Baphomet, in his true strength, is far stronger than the heavenly dragons and other gods.

"**What's wrong? Is that all you've got?** Baphomet curiously asked. He has not fought in a very long time, so he could not help but to enjoy this, even if it last only for a brief moment. **"If you don't take this more seriously, then you will die!" **yelled Baphomet as he suddenly appeared in front of Itachi and kicked him up unto the air.

"!" Itachi gritted his teeth as all the air on his lungs got cut, and he could feel his bones cracking. He could feel his body quickly falls towards the ground, but before the impact, he spins his body and so when his feet touch the ground, he immediately spin backward.

"Hah…hah…" Itachi painfully inhaled as much air as he could possibly can, before he gazes intensely at Baphomet while flashing several hand seals.

"_**Doton: Dosekiryū"**_

A dragon made of earth erupted from the ground, and headed straight to Baphomet. In response, Baphomet merely spread his arms, and then he ran towards the dragon, before destroying it with a clap. That's all the distraction that Itachi need. He had already moved behind Baphomet when he attacked his earth dragon. However, as if he sensed Itachi's intention, Baphomet's quickly turned around with unbelievable speed, and throw a chunk of rock from Itachi's earth dragon towards him with so much strength that it caused a sonic boom.

Itachi could only stared with wide eyes, before the rock hits him and horribly twisted his body. And then his body disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"**Hm? A clone?" **Baphomet curiously asked while raising his eyebrow.

"Yes" Itachi answered instantly. Baphomet turned around to the source of the voice, but then….

"_**Amaterasu"**_

He was attacked with the black flames of Amaterasu.

"Sorry, but after seeing that display of….throwing skill that you have, I would not even let you do so much as turning around" stated Itachi with a matter of factly tone.

Baphomet remains still on his spot, while the flames of Amaterasu continue to spread all around his body, until it completely engulfed him. However, Itachi looks at the scene in front of him skeptically. Partially, because he has experienced it firsthand that the flames of Amatersu can be extinguished with pure physical force by very powerful beings, and he has no doubt that Baphomet could easily do that. And mainly, because Baphomet does not seems to be affected by his flame in the slightest. There is no screaming of pain, or any sign that he is being injured. He just stood there like he is simply assessing Itachi's Amaterasu.

"**Hm…." **came Baphomet's grunting. **"The flame itself is great. The output behinds it is precise. It could definitely burn through most materials that belong to the 'physical' world. However…" **trailed Baphomet before he extinguished Amaterasu using his aura. **"You used it the wrong way". **Itachi only raise his eyebrows curiously regarding what Baphomet just said.

"What do you mean the 'wrong' way? Is there any other way to used Amaterasu?" asked Itachi.

"**It is a matter of attributes. It's no wonder that your flame could not finish that heavenly dragon…" **said Baphomet enigmatically. Before Itachi could ask what he meant, Baphomet deemed it necessary to interrupt him. **"Enough talking! We are in the middle of a fight! Words have no place here!" **Baphomet shouted.

"_But you're the one who started it, and did most of the talk…"_ thought Itachi while sweat dropping. The next second, he quickly back steps a few meters from his spot, because Baphomet has landed there with his fist crushing the ground.

Itachi tried to think about what Baphomet said, but because of his relentless assaults, he could not think about it without risking his life. Itachi quickly flashes several hand seals, and then he summons his crows to aid him.

"**Using summoned crows, eh? It won't change any… Eh?" **Baphomet's eyes widen when he saw that each crow has explosive tags around its body. But, what made him surprised was the fact that those explosives were not the usual explosive tags that he saw in Itachi's memory. No, each explosive tag was marked with a magic circle, and he knew what element was represented on those magic circles. Before, he could scream at Itachi, the crows explode and rained down lightning upon lightning to him.

"**Guh! Increasing the power of the lightning by condensing it together in a small space, no one has ever thought of applying such method to lightning magic before!" **complimented Baphomet as he could feel his body staggering. However, his expression was one of pure joy for the human in front of him has proven himself to be a powerful opponent. Itachi quickly appeared in front of him, and using Baphomet's left leg as a stepping, Itachi brought his face in front of him.

"Thank you for the compliments, but this it" said Itachi.

"_**Tsukuyo…"**_ Before Itachi could send Baphomet to the illusion world, he was blasted away by the being's immense aura towards one of the tree. He flipped himself mid-air to avoid crushing into the humans, and then he stared back at Baphomet.

"**You think I would let you do that? I know what could happen to me once I was caught in that technique of yours" **said Baphomet with a wide grin. On the other hand, Itachi remain passive while formulating his next moves. **"But, it seems I have underestimated you. Let's increased the performance by a notch then!" **shouted Baphomet.

"….." Itachi continue to observe Baphomet silently, and he focused his Mangekyo sharingan. However, his eyes suddenly feel itchy again, and he quickly blinks his eyes to subside the itchiness. When the itchiness gone, and he could see normally again, his eyes widen at the sight in front of him.

There is a 'hammer'.

There is a massive black 'hammer'.

There is a massive black 'hammer' with golden trimmings on Baphomet's side.

There is a massive black 'hammer' with golden trimmings four times the size of Baphomet's own.

And right now, Baphomet casually lifted that 'hammer' with his right hand as if it was simply an extension of his hand.

Itachi could feel the dreaded feeling that the 'hammer' emitted. Combined it with the dreaded feeling that Baphomet has, it caused cold sweats to stream down on his back, and the people who are here to screams hysterically, because of the terror that they felt.

"**Now then… Are you ready?" **asked Baphomet with a wide evil smile. The next moment, Baphomet suddenly disappeared.

Itachi's eyes widen, because the speed that Baphomet showed just now, far exceed his previous speeds. Previously, even though he had difficulties capturing Baphomet's movement, he could still see him. Even though his speed was faster than the eyes could see, there was still at least a second between the time he began to move and the time he reached him, which allows him to dodge.

But now, the moment Baphomet disappeared, at that very same moment he disappeared, Itachi was hurled using the 'hammer'. His eyes still continue to widen as he slowly realized that he had been hurled hundreds of meters into the sky. His eyes slowly look at the direction from where he was hurled, but instead of a grin or a smile, what he sees is Baphomet's confused face.

His eyes trailed to where Baphomet's sight was laid, and then he noticed the ethereal body of his complete Susano'o, which seemingly protected him from Baphomet's attack.

Itachi, throughout his life in this world has been exposed to beings which far exceed humans. He was trained by devils, lived with devils, fought against devils, met fallen angels, fought against fallen angels, met the dragon of dragons, fought against a dragon king briefly, fought against a heavenly dragon, and has something which came from outside the world inside him.

His body naturally absorbed the experiences of meeting those beings, and it shows it result in a form of automatic self-defense system. It's like the immune system. When something that threatened to harm the body entered the blood system, the immune system would be dispatched naturally without the brain knowing.

It's also similar to a reflex, like how you reflexively covered your ears when there is thunder even though your brain didn't order it.

His body, similar to how his immune system works, recorded the pressure, feeling on the skins, anything that he felt when he was in the presence of these beings. And so his body knows, and able to protect him automatically when it was exposed to the stimulus, even if his mind could not register that stimulus.

In this case, his body responded by sensing the dreads that Baphomet's and his 'hammer' emitted. By sensing those dreaded pressures, his eyes were automatically put into a 'ready' state, and the moment when the attack almost connected to his body, Itachi's eyes automatically activated the best possible defense against that attack.

Baphomet, seeing that his attack had failed to injured or even killed Itachi, smiled gleefully. He then shot up to the air, and put even greater strength to his hands with the intention of crushing Itachi alongside his Susano'o.

Itachi who finally managed to return his mind to the battle, quickly extend the right hand of his Susano'o in time to pull him away from the incoming attack of Baphomet. Baphomet's attack missed, however, what happens next, when his 'hammer' strike the ground beneath them, would prove to be very devastating to the human world, Underworld, Purgatory, Heaven, Valhalla and all other realms in this world.

The moment his 'hammer' strikes the ground, a massive earthquake occurred at the same time in all those realms. The dimensional void was the only one that was not affected, but to any other realm; they could feel the shaking caused by Baphomet's attack directly, although the damaged done was nowhere at the level of the damaged done to the purgatory and they simply accounted it as a natural phenomenon.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

**[Human world – Occult research club]**

"Buchou! It's shaking!" cried Issei.

"Calm yourself down, Issei. It's just an earthquake" said Rias.

"But it sure is big, isn't it? I wonder how the situation in the town would be…" muttered Yuuto.

"…Shaky…." You guys know who said this.

"Ah! I couldn't help but be worried for them! Oh Lord…Hauuu~!" You guys also know who said this.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. I wonder how it feels to ride a wooden horse in a situation like this~" said You-Know-Who while licking her lips.

"_It's shaking~! It's shaking~! Gufufu!" _thought Issei while staring at Rias and Akeno's breasts which are currently shaking simultaneously with the earthquake. The next moment, he was punched on the face by Koneko and was sent flying towards the wall.

"….No perverted thought allowed…."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Student council room]**

"Hm… it's really a bad shaking. I couldn't even read" complained Sona.

"Kaichou. Do you think this earthquake normal?" asked a girl with long black hair who also wears glasses.

"Well, Japan is one of the most unstable countries on the world, so earthquake like this wasn't that rare Tsubaki…" explained Sona, who has become frustrated because she could not read the student council report.

"I see…" trailed the girl who is now identified as Tsubaki.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx

**[England]**

"Oh? It's shaking. Irina, it's shaking" said Xenovia passively, as if she does not even worry at the prospect that the church might collapse because of the earthquake.

"I know it's shaking! That's why we need to get out!" shouted Irina, irritated at her friend's indifference to this situation.

"….Is this how it feels to wear a 'vibrator'?" Xenovia innocently asked. Irina suddenly paled, not because of what Xenovia said, but because of the appearance of a certain nun.

"Fufufu. What did you say, Xenovia?"

"I said, is this how it feels…" Xenovia suddenly paled as she finally recognized just whom that voice belongs to. She turned around and saw the face of a certain nun who is smiling at her.

"…..Master…" muttered Xenovia weakly. The next thing that happened is best omitted from this story due to its sheer brutality.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx

**[Underworld – Grigori main base]**

"Shemhazai! Help me save my 'collections'!" cried Azazel. He scrambled to lift the fallen shelf that contains his research collections, which were really just porn magazines. In response, the fallen angel Shemhazai only look at his old friend passively, before declaring…..

"No"

"You heartless bastard!" screamed Azazel.

"What's wrong? What's with the commotion?" said a man with a dark silver hair

"Oooh, Vali! Good timing! Come and help me save my 'collections'!" yelled Azazel to the man who was now identified as Vali. Vali turned his eyes towards Azazel's 'collections', and then he turned his back towards him.

"I'll be checking the situation" said Vali who then begins to walk away.

"Please do" said Shemhazai who is also begins to walk away from the disaster's scene.

"You guys are heartless bastards, you hear me!? Heartless bastards!" screamed Azazel with tears running down from his eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx

**[Sirzechs' palace] **

"Oya? What a nice shaking~" Sirzechs jovially said, as if he truly enjoy sitting on his chair while the ground is shaking like this.

"Hm… If this shaking continues, then I wouldn't need to buy a massage chair. No. In fact, I think with this, everyone could enjoy a daily shaking or two" muttered Sirzechs as he began to formulate a very stupid plan in his head. He then smiled when he thought how this plan would bring even greater prosperity upon the Underworld, but then he was hit on the head with a paper fan.

"Even if there is an earthquake, does not mean that you could sit around doing nothing like this. And stop thinking about some stupid plan" declared Grayfia as she began pinching Sirzechs' cheek.

"It hurts~, it hurts~. Grayfia~" cried Sirzechs. Grayfia sigh tiredly at her husband's attitude, but then her face became very serious.

"Sirzechs-sama. I want you to look at this" Grayfia commanded Sirzechs with a very stern voice. Sirzechs could only nod weakly, because he really couldn't say 'no' to her wife.

"This is?" asked Sirzechs curiously as he takes a look at the papers that Grayfia presented to him.

"The analysis report about the piece of bandage that I brought back a week ago. It was the only clue I could get about that man who escaped from me" said Grayfia. "I thought you want to read it first, because he might pose a danger to Rias-sama" stated Grayfia. Sirzechs gives a grateful nod to his wife.

"Let's see…the material is…the Shroud of Turin? Hm… That's new. Never thought there would be someone crazy enough to make it into a bandage" muttered Sirzechs. "The symbol on the bandage is….Linear A? Why would someone use an undechipered writing system?" asked Sirzechs to himself. He then noticed something at the bottom, something about DNA. "Let's see… Based on the small pieces of DNA gathered from the shroud, there is 79% chance that the one who wear it was…." Sirzechs stopped reading up to that point, and his eyes widen as he sees the name.

"Sirzechs-sama?" asked Grayfia, confused as to why Sirzechs suddenly stop reading the report. However, she became even more confused when Sirzechs starts smiling widely.

"Grayfia"

"Yes?"

"Could you prepare an extra invitation to Rias' engagement party?" requested Sirzechs while smiling at her.

"Addressed to whom?" questioned Grayfia. She doesn't know why Sirzechs suddenly smiled like that, but whoever name is on that paper, was more than enough to made him happy. In response, to her question, Sirzechs merely gives the paper to Grayfia. Grayfia starts to read it, and after a moment, there's a small smile on her lips.

"That boy…. Understood" said Grayfia, who then teleported herself away to do what Sirzechs asked her to do. Sirzechs merely continues to smile, before he looks at the sky outside his window.

"So… The 'hero' always watched over the 'princess' and her 'friends', even from the darkness" muttered Sirzechs. His smiles widen, and then he lifts his wine glass.

"Welcome home….Itachi-kun…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

**[Purgatory]**

Itachi observed the damage done to the purgatory by Baphomet's attack, from the top of a boulder. He couldn't believe what he sees. With just one single attack, one single hammer attack, the purgatory was crushed. The vast 'garden' of humans is now a destroyed landscape, and all those humans are 'scattered' everywhere (I leave it to your imaginations, as to how they were 'scattered'). Itachi then sees one of the humans crawling towards the nearest human. However, that person has lost his lower body, and his organs are practically gushing out. Slowly, that man grabs the body of the other person, and stitch himself to the other person, by forcing his head into the man's belly.

Itachi narrowed his eyes as he saw this scene, and he couldn't help but pity these people.

"**I've told you, right?"** Baphomet's voice came from his right. He turned his head to the right and saw Baphomet sat on the air, while lazily looking at the spectacle in front of him. **"That they would repeat this process over and over again" **

"…."

"**There's nothing you can do for them. The living cannot save the dead" **said Baphomet with a very old-sounding voice. **"More importantly…."** Baphomet suddenly shot towards Itachi, however, this time Itachi was ready to anticipate Baphomet's attack. But, the same could be said for Baphomet.

"**Let's continue!" **shouted Baphomet as he swings his 'hammer' towards Itachi. Itachi did not have time to flash hand seals, so he has no choice but to battle him using his Susano'o. Baphomet's 'hammer' clashed with the Yata mirror, and then crushed it. Itachi's eyes widen as he saw his Yata mirror crushed by Baphomet, but that's the least of his worries, for his 'hammer' is now aimed towards him.

"G...Gah!" Itachi could feel the pressure from the clash between the defenses of his Susano'o with the attacks of Baphomet's 'hammer', and he felt that if his stepping wasn't firm, he would already be blew out from his Susano'o.

Slowly, cracks appeared on his Susano'o, and before Itachi could form 'Rasengan', he was thrown several hundred meters away. He then hit one of the 'humans' boulders, and destroy them apart.

"G..Guh…" Itachi painfully tried to stand, but the injuries from the attacks, combined with the strained on his body for using Susano'o extensively, makes him unable to move his body. Suddenly, the ground shakes, and Itachi looks up only to see the disappointed eyes of Baphomet.

"**So… Is this the extent of your power? I was hoping for something more. Unfortunately, seeing that you couldn't even leave a scar on me… I couldn't entrust the Mirror to you. I'm sorry that it has to end like this. Farewell…Uchiha Itachi" **said Baphomet as he held his 'hammer' above his head, with the intention of finishing Itachi once and for all.

"…_." _

With that, Baphomet brought down the 'hammer' towards Itachi.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

**[Kuoh academy – Occult research club]**

Right now, the occult research club, or rather Rias Gremory and her peerage are preparing for tomorrow's match against Raizer. They are talking about strategies that needs to be executed, who will fight who, and what roles each member would play.

"Okay. Everyone understand, right?" asked Rias. In response to her question, everyone gave her a nod. She smile happily at them, but then she was struck by a very bad feeling.

"_What? What is this feeling?" _thought Rias to herself.

"Buchou? You are crying…" said Akeno worriedly.

"Eh?" Rias became confused, but then she brought a hand to her cheek, and she could feel the tears streaming from her eyes.

"_Why am I….crying?" _thought Rias, whose tears continue to stream down from her eyes. _"Why do I feel…very sad?" _

She then began to cry, and her peerage quickly scrambled and tried their best to soothe her.

"_Itachi… I'm scared…."_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx

**[Purgatory]**

Baphomet looks at the debris from his attack. He believed that his attack has finished Itachi. However, for some reason, he has this unsettling feeling when his attack connected to Itachi's Susano'o.

"_**What is this feeling…" **_thought Baphomet with a frown. _**"That last attack should have finished him… So...Why is it that it feels like the real battle has just begun?"**_ As the debris cleared up, and everything can be seen clearly, he then gritted his teeth. **"Why is it that although you have lost your consciousness, your 'Tempestuous God of Valor' is still active?! Uchiha Itachi!" **yelled Baphomet.

True, right now, Itachi's Susano'o is firmly holding the dull ends of Baphomet's 'hammer'. It protected Itachi from what would be a fatal blow.

However, there are two strange things.

First, Itachi is unconscious, which makes it impossible for his Susano'o to manifest.

Second. Itachi's Susano'o, the Susano'o that shouldn't be able to manifest, is staring at him, albeit only with its left eye.

In what used to be a hollow eye, there is now a 'real' eye. Not to mention, the actions of this Susano'o defies all logic. Susano'o supposed to only follow its user's will.

So what does it means when it acts based on its own accord?

Does it mean that his Susano'o has obtained a will of its own?

Does it mean that his Susano'o has become separated from him?

Does it mean that it is no longer a part of Itachi?

Or, is there something else controlling it?

Susano'o continues to stare at Baphomet, and at the same time, its eye becomes even more 'real'.

Baphomet could feel that there is something wrong. It's not that Itachi's Susano'o feels wrong; it's the way it sees him that makes it wrong. Or rather, how it considered him.

You must've done it at least once in your life as a child. When you were small, you often played with the 'object' called insect whenever you could find one, no matter which insect it was.

You would look at it simply as an 'object'; you would 'break' it apart because you could only think of it as an 'object'. To you, it was merely something to be observed, something that has piqued your interest, but can be thrown away, can be broken the moment you lost interest in it. Children often did that, not because they were cruel, but because they did not understand.

The way it sees him is exactly like that of a child who has found an interesting 'object' to be observed, to be played with, and to be broken apart once it bored of him. And it looks at him so innocently too, like it does not even considered what it's doing right now as anything, but something 'normal'.

For the first time in a very long time, Baphomet becomes unnerved. He doesn't know how Itachi's Susano'o could become…alive like this. However, he then remembered something. Something which is very important.

"_**Did…that thing inside him…used his 'Tempestuous God of Valor' as a medium to manifest itself in this world?" **_thought Baphomet. He had seen the history of Uchiha Itachi, and thus he knew that there is something inside him. However, he did not take into account that it is capable of manifesting itself in this world through Itachi's Susano'o. No, he thought that it would need Itachi's body, since that thing is basically bodiless. So, he did not expect that it could use an ethereal object like Susano'o to create its own body.

He was brought out of his own musing, when suddenly the look on its eye change. It was very subtle, but it stills a change nevertheless. And with that change, Baphomet could feel that the way it regarded him had changed too.

It's looking at him as if it has lost interest in him.

It's looking at him as if he has no longer has any worth.

It's looking at him as if he is merely a trash that needs to be thrown away.

"**!"** Baphomet's instinct screamed at him to run away as far as possible. However, he could not do so. Not that he does not wanted to live, but that even the simple action of turning his back to it would mean instant death.

Slowly, its left hand extended towards him. Slowly, his death came towards him. But then suddenly its right hand chokes its neck. The next thing that happens is its right hand ruthlessly crushed its own neck. And with that, the unsettling feeling that lingered on the air is gone alongside the Susano'o.

"… I don't remember…giving you any…permission to came out….." Itachi muttered to himself. Baphomet could not see his expression, but based on the coldness of his voice, he deduced that Itachi is very angry.

…**.**

"This is something that I need to finish myself…" muttered Itachi. "Go 'sleep'…now" ordered Itachi, as he slowly stood up. Baphomet's eyes widen as he sees the current form of Itachi. There's no change to him, except, he emitted the same unsettling feeling as that being. However, it is also slowly gone, as the being slowly entered its 'slumber'. Baphomet finally understood why Itachi seeks something like the Mirror of Ahura Mazda.

"Well, then?" Itachi's voice brought him out of his stupor, and then he stared at Itachi.

"**Then?"**

"Shall we continue?" asked Itachi. Baphomet raised his eyebrows, and began to think that the young man is insane to even think of continuing with his body injured as it is.

"**Continue? Do you think it's wise to continue? Your injuries…."**

"Gone" with that one word, Itachi interrupted Baphomet.

"**What?" **asked Baphomet. Itachi shows him his injuries, or rather, where injuries should be. **"A healing factor? It healed your injuries in that instant?" **questioned Baphomet, which prompted Itachi to shakes his head.

"It didn't heal my injuries. It _ended _my injuries" Itachi enigmatically explained.

"**What do you…"** Baphomet could not finish his question, because suddenly Itachi attacked him with Amaterasu.

"Words have no place here…right?" Itachi asked, which prompted Baphomet to smile at him.

"**True. Well then! Let's finish this!" **shouted Baphomet, before he dashed towards Itachi. In response, Itachi continue to cast Amaterasu upon him. **"You know this has no effect on me right?!" **yelled Baphomet.

"Don't worry…" Itachi assured as he continued to cast Amaterasu while at the same time distancing himself from him. "I am simply trying to adjust it…"

"**Adju…Habhh! Hey!" **Baphomet angrily yelled at him. It is understandable why he was angry. After all, who would not get angry when they tried to speak, but then a fire was cast into their mouth to prevent them from speaking?

Itachi smiled slightly at Baphomet's predicament, which makes him even angrier. What Baphomet didn't realize is that Itachi has created two hidden earth clones. One preparing magic circles, while the other one flashing hand seals.

"_**Doton: Chidōkaku"**_

The area where Baphomet is stepping suddenly lowered far below the surface. And as if that wasn't enough, magic circles of various sizes suddenly appeared.

"Baphomet-san… It's my turn" said Itachi. The magic circles then let out torrents of water and lightning, which completely drowned the hole. Baphomet could feel his body being electrocuted, and he starts to swim up. On the other hand, Itachi is now adjusting his right Mangekyo sharingan several times, by dilating and constricting his pupils. He then smiles, when he finally understood what Baphomet means.

"I see…so that's how it is" muttered Itachi with a smile, before Baphomet suddenly shot out from the water, and he looks pissed.

"**I don't know why you bother, but you can't defeat me with that level of power!" **shouted Baphomet, before he brought down his hammer upon Itachi. Itachi simply smiled upon him, before he suddenly disappeared. **"Another clone?!"**

"I wasn't planning to defeat you with that. I merely need time to adjust and change the current _attributes _of Amaterasu" confessed Itachi.

"**What!" **shouted Baphomet with a surprised face (well, as surprised as goat could). _**"Don't tell me, he…" **_

"I had the times I needed to ponder on your words, when you faced this kid" said Itachi as he jabbed his thumb on his chest. "And now I finally understood. As gratitude, let me show it to you" declared Itachi. Baphomet frantically searches around for Itachi, and then he noticed him, far away from his position. He quickly dashed towards him, but at that time it was already too late. Itachi slowly opens his eyes and then he casts that jutsu from his right eye.

"_**The white flame of purification**__**: Amaterasu!" **_

Baphomet's body is engulfed with white flame, which seems to be similar to Itachi's normal 'Amaterasu'. However, unlike his normal 'Amaterasu', this version of 'Amaterasu' is capable of dealing damage against the likes of Baphomet. The evident? Baphomet is currently thrashing around in pains for the flame is burning through his skin. Itachi tiredly looks at Baphomet, and then he extinguished the flame before it could kill Baphomet. He then walks slowly to where Baphomet is laying, and sit on the ground.

"Huff…huff… Do you give up?" asked Itachi. He almost exhausted all his chakra with that last attack, and it would truly be the end for him if Baphomet decides to continue. Baphomet painfully looks at him, and then he flashes him a satisfied smile.

"**I give up" **said Baphomet, satisfied that Itachi was able to provide him a great battle, and defeated him.

Itachi let out a relieved sigh, before he slumped down to the ground, and lost his consciousness.

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**[Human world – Kuoh academy]**

Rias Gremory is currently facing against her hated foe, Raizer Phoenix. She had asked him to face her alone on the schoolyard, but here he is looking at her lustfully with his 'queen' by his side.

"Just give it up, Rias. You know you can't defeat me. No one can't" said Raizer as he licks his lips. In response, Rias merely gives him a smug smile.

"We don't know about that…" said Rias confidently. In actuality, she is worried that Raizer's 'queen' might suddenly do something, which would place her in an unfavorable position. However, suddenly Hyodou Issei arrived.

"Buchou!" yelled Issei.

"Issei!" Rias shouted with surprise on her face.

"Che! Another pest came. Doesn't matter….a pest or two…they are still pests!" shouted Raizer.

"Damn you!" Issei then charged towards Raiser while Rias yelling at him to stand back.

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**[Purgatory]**

Itachi could sense water near him. But of course, it's not the water that we all know and love. Its water made from blood. He tiredly sits up, and sees….

"**Oh? You're finally awake?" **

Baphomet taking a bath. He used organs as a sponge, (by gathering them in one hand and mixing it into one giant blob) and happily hummed some kind of weird song, which somehow made Itachi feels a sense of déjà vu.

"…."

"**Here. Catch" **said Baphomet before he throws the Mirror of Ahura Mazda to Itachi. Itachi take a looks at the mirror, but then his eyes widen, because the mirror had been shattered, neatly. **"I took the trouble of shattering it for you. You intended to destroy this mirror anyway the moment you saw it, right? Where's my thanks?" **asked Baphomet.

"….Heh… Thank you" said Itachi with a small smile, but then his eyes narrowed. "So, I take it that you know?" asked Itachi.

"**After I saw that state of yours? Yeah, I know why you need that mirror…" **said Baphomet as he dried himself using a cow's skin. **"The question is… How do you use it?" **

"Like this…" said Itachi, before he bites his thumb, and starts to write some weird symbols.

"**Linear A, huh? So, by using the language that is forgotten by the world, you make sure that no one would be able to decipher your seal" **said Baphomet. **"No. It's incorrect to call it a seal, since what you are doing is not 'suppress', but 'camouflage'…" **stated Baphomet.

"Yes. As you saw, when this kid is 'awake', it causes me to emit this….otherworldly…..sensation, which is perceived as 'unsettling'. I have no trouble being perceived as a threat, however, I don't want this kid to suffer prejudice before he could even see the world" explained Itachi. "That's why; I need something that possessed strong connection to this world in order to camouflage this sensation even when this kid is 'awake'. But it's also needs to be something which I could wear"

"**So…basically, you are protecting it…" **deduced Baphomet. **"Then why don't you use a Sacred Gear for that?" **asked Baphomet, confused why Itachi went through so much trouble like this. In response, Itachi sigh tiredly as he explains it.

"This kid does not want anymore 'extra resident' in my body…" explained Itachi simply as he checked that he wrote the right letters on the mirrors.

…

…..

…..

"**That's the reason?" **asked Baphomet incredulously. Itachi tiredly nod at him.

"The first time I arrived in this world, this kid pushed out evil pieces, because it didn't want to share room. It then tried to become a replacement for my chakra until it was given a toy in a form of a 'ring'. When it was bored of said ring, it broke it. It then tried to push out the magical energy that I received from Great Red, but I managed to talk to it before it could do that, thanks to Professor" said Itachi as he began to tell his experiences with it. Baphomet sweat dropped when he heard Itachi's experiences with the thing inside him, and there's only one thing that he could say.

"**It truly acts like a child. No. It **_**is **_**a child" **said Baphomet, who then begins to pat Itachi's back as if to say 'hang in there, dad'. Itachi sigh again, and he could feel migraine creeping up to his brain. Baphomet then decided to ask the question that has been bugging his mind for a while.

"**If it gave you so much trouble…Why do you protect it then?" **asked Baphomet, confused why Itachi continue to protect it despite all the troubles that it seems to give him.

"Do I need a reason?" Itachi instantly asked back

"…**."**

"However, if you want a reason, maybe it's because I feel that this kid could become something more than a formless power with a will. I feel that if it sees the world, it could mature and becomes its own individual" explained Itachi.

"**So you want it to have its own body?" **Baphomet asked for confirmation.

"No. This kid said that it had a body" answered Itachi.

"**Had?"** Realization then dawned upon Baphomet. **"That bastard…" **Baphomet growled. **"What is your wish for it then?"**

"As I said…I want it to grow and become its own individual. To be able to make its own decision and to be able to walk down the path that it made for itself" explained Itachi with a matter of factly tone. He then finished writing all the letters, and pulled out a string and a needle. He infused his needle with a wind magic, and began to make a small hole on all the mirror's shards. He then connects the shards together using the string, and wears it on his neck. Baphomet look impressed at how Itachi fashioned all those shards into a necklace.

"**Impressive. Have you considered to become an artist?" **asked Baphomet. Itachi merely looks at Baphomet as if he had made one sick joke, but when he saw that Baphomet was serious, he shakes his head. **"What a pity…" **

"By the way…Baphomet-san…" began Itachi. Baphomet turned his head towards him curiously. "Thank you…"

"**For what?" **Baphomet asked while tilting his head to the left.

"For giving me hints on how to improve 'Amaterasu'…" answered Itachi.

"**I did no such things…"**

"Yes, you did" Itachi immediately replied. "The keywords are 'physical world' and 'attributes'. Thanks to those words, I managed to improve Amaterasu so that it can be used against beings that stand in a higher place than the 'physical world'. So, thank you" Itachi gratefully said as he bowed his head.

"…**."**

"Well then… I better leave now" said Itachi as he prepared to teleport himself away using a magic circle.

"**Where will you go?" **asked Baphomet. Itachi looks at him with confusion, but before he could ask what he meant, Baphomet decides to clarify his question. **"Will you go back just to observe things for your 'cause', or will you go back to your friends?" **Baphomet questioned with a glare.

"!"

"**Remember… I saw your history from your eyes. I saw how you lived your life up to this point, and I must say….that your life after two years ago have become 'pathetic'…" **sneered Baphomet.

"….."

"**You left your friends for your 'cause'….. Is it not the same thing that you did in your previous world? If so…then you are more of an idiot than you are a genius" **mocked Baphomet.

"But…if I returned to them…their fates will deviate even further…. It might even cost them their lives and the world…." said Itachi as he slowly closed his eyes.

"**So what?"** Baphomet instantly replied which make Itachi's eyes shot open. Itachi looks at Baphomet, and for some reason, he could see regret marred that face. **"Everything will one day come to an end. Gods, the world, people, everything will end. It does not matter whether the world was distorted or not. It does not matter whether fate deviates from its proper course or not. It will all end. And we wouldn't know how or when it would end. It just will. But, you know what? It's because something could end that we do our best to protect it, right? It's because you know you and your friends lives would end that you stayed by their side and treasured those times, right? I know you want to protect your friends. However, you're doing it the wrong way…"**

"…..What's the correct way then?" asked Itachi as he slowly looks down.

"**Well, why don't you go meet them first, and then tell me your own answer? What I would tell you is my own answer. You need to find your own answer…" **said Baphomet.

"….I see" Itachi said with a very low volume. He then looks at Baphomet again, however, this time Baphomet could see something that Itachi didn't have previously. No, it is more accurate to say that he lost that something, and seems to regain it just now.

"Thank you for your advices….Baphomet-san…" Itachi said with a grateful nod.

"**If you want to save her, you better make haste. After all….eleven days have passed in the living world" **said Baphomet. Itachi's eyes narrowed at this piece of information, and then he nods again.

He quickly conjured a magic circle, but before he teleported himself away, Baphomet called out to him.

"**Itachi!"**

"Yes?"

"**If you have information about that bastard, you better tell me!"** shouted Baphomet. Itachi smiles a bit and then he replies…

"Understood"

With that he disappeared into the magic circle, leaving Baphomet alone in the purgatory.

…..

….

…

"**He really reminds me of myself when I was younger. Don't you agree…brother?" **Baphomet asked the sun, which has returned to its normal color as if it's agreeing with him.

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**[Human world – Kuoh academy]**

Itachi arrived on the ground of Kuoh academy, and he could see the remains of battle everywhere. He quickly summoned one of his patrol crows, and then he sees what it saw. Itachi narrowed his eyes as he sees the way Rias lost her rating game.

"_**It's because you know you and your friends lives would end that you stay by their side and treasured those times, right?"**_

"_**I know you want to protect your friends. However, you're doing it the wrong way…"**_

"_**You need to find your own answer…"**_

Baphomet's words rang inside Itachi's head. And then he remembers. He remembers saying similar things once, and yet, here he is, forgetting those words.

"…..I need to find my own answer" muttered Itachi.

Itachi looks at Kuoh academy with regrets on his face, and then began to talk to himself.

"Since when did I forget about my own…Will of Fire?" muttered Itachi. He began to walks towards the direction of the occult research club, and then he could hear the cries of Rias' peerage. He could hear their regret, their hatred at their own powerlessness. Itachi then begins thinking to himself.

Would things be different if he had decided to help them?

Would they be laughing now instead of lamenting their weaknesses?

Would it be better instead to let fate flows freely instead of trying to fix it?

Would things be different if he had stayed with them?

Itachi could feel his emotions in turmoil. However, instead of looking distressed, his face is full of resolve. He slowly clenched his hands and then he walks away from the occult research club building.

"I see. I was wrong" muttered Itachi before he jumped to the roof of Kuoh academy.

He quickly brings out his touch screen device, and he sent all the data that he gathered to the Professor. However, what he would do next is something that could never be recovered.

**DO YOU WANT TO DELETE THIS PROGRAM?**

Itachi read these words for a moment, before he pressed that word.

**YES**

And with that, all those plans that he devised together with the Professor and the thing inside him were deleted.

Itachi look at his device passively, before he stored it away. However, he then feels a very hard pull from inside.

"Guh!" Itachi grunted in pain. He hasn't felt this kind of pain since two years ago, and he knows that it was angry at him.

…

"Destroyed the chains that binds me" answered Itachi.

…**..**

"I thought I told you this already. It's people who move the world. We must not rely on this kind of thing any longer, or else our lives would be controlled by it!" said Itachi.

…**.**

"From now on… I will do things by following my heart. Are you still with me, or not?" questioned Itachi.

…**..**

"Thank you…." Itachi gratefully replied. And with that, the pain subsided.

He then took out a very old cell phone. It's one of those obsolete cell phones which could only send a text message with a maximum of five hundred characters. And in that cell phone, there is only one number. The number of the Professor. The number of a man with the words [P.A.V.H.S.] as his name.

Itachi look at that obsolete cell phone for a moment, before thinking…..

"_Seeing that I would never hear the end of this from Professor, I better tell him after I save Rias. Well, that way, I could also prepare for what he had in store for me. Besides, I have no doubt that he would want to join me if he heard about this. He might even do something crazy…" _thought Itachi tiredly, due to the sheer eccentricity of the Professor. He then stored that cell phone away, before thinking of how to break through the security without anyone knowing.

"Should I use 'Kamui'? No, with my chakra still low like this, I wouldn't be able to execute it properly. Magic circle? Out of question… With their securities as tight as that, they would immediately noticed me" Itachi didn't realize that he muttered those words loudly, and so deep he is in thought, that he did not realize the arrival of a certain silver haired maid. Right behind him.

"I guess I have no choice, but to do that…" muttered Itachi with a sigh.

"Oh? Do what?" asked a voice from behind him.

"Drugged one of the guests and disguised myself as…." Itachi suddenly trailed off, because he could feel a very familiar feeling from behind him. And right now, she radiates anger.

"A week ago, you sneaked around like a criminal, and escaped from me. And now you planned to become a real criminal? I don't know where we got it wrong in raising you. Care to tell? Itachi?" asked Grayfia with a very stern gaze. Itachi looks at the horizon for a moment, before he turns around and faced the _true strongest _devil.

"…Grayfia….san…." muttered Itachi with sweats running on his back.

"Do you realize how worry we are?" questioned Grayfia. "Everyone is greatly concerned about you, including myself and Sirzechs. And yet, here you are, doing things as you pleased. It will be inadequate if I don't put you through the same punishments as Sirzechs, if not harsher, for your mistakes, don't you agree?" said Grayfia.

She then began to lecture Itachi, and throughout that Itachi could only stay silent, as she points out all his faults. If it was someone other than Itachi who is in his shoes, they would definitely dead from Grayfia's gaze alone. Even a very confident person would definitely shrink and began to cry. However, Itachi merely closed his eyes, as he reflects on his mistakes, which Grayfia pointed out to him.

"Do you hear me?" Grayfia asked sternly.

"Yes, I hear you. I hear everything that you said…" began Itachi. "And I'm sorry" finished Itachi as he locked eyes with Grayfia. Grayfia could see that Itachi truly regret his decisions, and she couldn't see anything that says otherwise in his eyes.

"You have a lot of explaining to do… However, for now…this is your punishment" said Grayfia as she pulled out a letter from her pocket. Itachi took the letter and then he raised his eyebrow.

"Is this…." Itachi trailed off as he sees the symbol on that letter.

"Yes. The invitation letter to her engagement party" confirmed Grayfia. "This is the punishment from me and also a mission from Sirzechs-sama" Itachi narrowed his eyes when he heard the word 'mission'.

"What did Sirzechs-san say?" asked Itachi.

"Sirzechs-sama said 'It is the duty of the hero to save the princess. So, go and save her, hero'. That was what he said" finished Grayfia. A small smile appeared on his lips, and then he muttered…

"Hero…huh? I am not a hero. There are other people who are more suitable for that role" said Itachi as he remembered all the heroes that he knows.

"That might be true, but to Rias….Itachi…you are _her _hero" Grayfia said with a matter of factly voice. Itachi looks at her, and then he sees that she has a face of an older sister instead of a maid. He then look back at the letter, and closed his eyes.

"Then... I shall become the hero that she believes me to be" said Itachi as he slowly opened his eyes, and look at Grayfia with a smile. Grayfia smiles back at him, and then she decides to reports things back to Sirzechs and to gives the news to Rias' peerage. She conjured a magic circle, but before she teleported herself away, she looks back at Itachi.

"Itachi…. Welcome home" said Grayfia with a smile. Itachi became surprised at Grayfia's words, and then he looks like he doesn't know what to say.

"…..I'm…..home….." replied Itachi hesitantly. Grayfia smiled at his answer, and then she disappeared into the magic circle.

Itachi looks at the spot where Grayfia once stood, and then repeated those words.

"I'm…home, huh?"

He closed his eyes for a moment as he savored those words, and then he opened it with his sharingan activated.

He has no time for dilly dallying.

He has a mission to be done.

He has a friend to be saved.

He has a trust that needs to be repaid.

"Well then. Time to save Rias" declared Itachi as he conjured a magic circle.

He then took a step into that magic circle, which would bring him to where Rias is. And the next second, he disappeared.

**Aaaaaaannnnddd finish chapter 10! Okay! I can't promise how long it gonna takes for the next chapter to come out, but I'll try to make it a bit, just a bit, faster. By the way, if you don't know what Linear A is, then just Google 'Linear A', you'll easily find it. And now, I'm gonna go back to my novel, seeing that I've spent almost six days for this chapter, and ignoring that novel of mine. And as usual….**

**RATES AND REVIEWS FOLKS!**


	11. Reunion - part 3

**I am truly sorry for taking a long time to update. Abandoned? Hell no! It's just, shits happened (such is the risk of being alive). I got hospitalized for more than two weeks, thanks to dengue fever. Helping with my brother's wedding preparations, helping my sister with her IB essays, sending out invitations here and there, working on my novel and artworks, etc (Aargh! So many things to do!). Even my body starts to feel weak again. But, oh well, I'll survive. By the way, until my brother get married. I'm gonna be extra busy, so don't expect (too much) that the next chapter is going to come out next month. Also, I initially going to combine the next part with this part, but since it seriously going to take too long to be finished (and, of course to come out), and since I don't want to make you guys waiting even longer, I decided to keep it separate. And as always thank you for the reviews, and hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!" = **_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!" = _Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 11

**Reunion – part 3 (You're late!)**

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**[Underworld – Gremory castle]**

As the time of the party draws near, most of the crowds have assembled. Many of them are young devils, which belongs to the 72 clans, but there are also some adults, most notably the head of Gremory clan, a certain red-haired Satan, and the Satan wearing a magical girl outfit. The two Satans have separated themselves from the rest of the crowds, and currently having a heated conversation inside a private room, with Serafall interrogating Sirzechs regarding the information that he gave her earlier.

"Sirzechs-chan! What is this interesting thing that you've told me?" Serafall asked.

"Oya. Don't get heated up just yet. I don't want to spoil the surprise." Sirzechs said with a wide smile. In response, Serafall pouted because she does not like being kept in the dark like this. Not to mention, Sirzechs and Ajuka have been keeping a lot of secrets from her in the past two years.

"Muuu~! Then I'll go back!" Serafall childishly complained as she turned around and prepared to leave. However, before she could conjure a magic circle, Sirzech put his hand on her right shoulder, and stopped her from leaving. Serafall turns around, and begin to scold Sirzechs after she saw his jovial smile. "Sirzechs-chan, shouldn't you be worrying about Rias-chan right now? Even I know how grave this situation is for Rias-chan. As her big brother you should be helping her instead of fooling around like this. If It-tan was here, he would never let Rias-chan be…. Sirzechs-chan?" Serafall suddenly trailed off, because of the illogical thing that happens in front of her.

The moment Serafall mentioned the name 'It-tan', Sirzechs glowed. Literally. His face, his body, his eyes, and even his teeth let out a radiant yellowish glows and sparkles that illuminate the room. So radiant his glow was that Serafall becomes envious and starts thinking on how to reproduce such a wonderful light for her to use.

"You see, Serafall." began Sirzechs. "The truth is, Itachi-kun…" Before Sirzechs could finish what he wanted to say, Serafall interrupted him with her question.

"Sirzechs-chan! How did you glow like that?! Tell me - no, teach me, please!" Serafall demanded while clasping her hands together and her eyes gleaming with curiosity. Sirzechs sweat dropped, because of Serafall's question, and her eyes literally begging him to fulfill her demand. The problem is not that Sirzechs does not want to share the secret or teach her on how to utilize said technique. The problem is, there is neither secret nor anything special. It was something that happens _naturally. _

So confused he was on how to deal with this situation that his manner of speech changes drastically. "Serafall-kun. This great mighty me has no qualms on teaching the utilization of the sacred light that has been passed down by the sun to thee. However, the trials that awaits cannot be accomplished by anyone other than those who possess the power of destruction. Unfortunately, as you are not of Bael's bloodline, and possess not the power of destruction, the very idea of gaining the way to utilize the sacred light is preposterous." Sirzechs explained with an overly dramatized face.

Serafall became crestfallen after hearing Sirzechs' explanation. However, her spirit flares up once more as she recalled the last bit of Sirzechs' previous sentence. "Sirzechs-chan. Did you say something about It-tan?"

Sirzechs face glows once more. However, this time it was not only from the question regarding 'It-tan', but also from the relief that washed over him as Serafall seems to finally let the matter down. Unfortunately for him, this last glow fire up her curiosity once more, but this time she managed to control it for another time.

"You see, Serafall. The truth is… Itachi-kun is currently heading here right now." Sirzechs began. It took a whole minute for that information to sink into Serafall's brain, and when it does, she becomes very lively.

"Waah~. It-tan's coming back!" Serafall excitedly shouted. She then mutters. "Maybe I should wear that 'specially designed magical girl outfit' instead of this one." Sirzechs feels like he misheard that part about 'specially designed magical girl outfit', however, the expression that appeared on Serafall's face made him able to think only one thing.

"_You are one hell of a guy, Itachi-kun. I hope Rias and that Sitri princess does not get angry with you."_ Sirzechs thought as he observed the red dots on Serafall's cheeks. "Serafall. This is just me asking, but by chance, do you like Itachi-kun?" Sirzechs hesitantly asked.

"Eh? N-no! I only thought of It-tan with the same feeling as I thought of So-tan! Even though he was very mature! Even though he was the male version of So-tan! Even though he always knew when I'm feeling down and comforted me! Even though he was very adorable at times, and always avoided my attempts to hug and cuddle him, but! But! By no mean I love It-tan as a man!" Serafall desperately denied. "Mou!, Sirzechs-chan! It's not good to joke like that!" Serafall loudly yelled at Sirzechs. Sirzechs merely chuckled a bit, but the truth is he was deadpanning in the inside.

"_I wasn't joking though… And I said 'like' not 'love'..."_ thought Sirzechs. "You're attitude seems to say otherwise though." Sirzechs flatly pointed out.

"Hueh?"

"Don't worry. I'm sure he has grown to be a splendid man." Sirzechs assured with a small gentle smile.

"No! Sirzechs-chan, you've got the wrong idea! I don't love It-tan at all! He is younger than me too!" Serafall denied while vigorously shaking her head.

"So, if he was as old as we are, what would your answer be?" Sirzechs calmly teased. For some reason, he felt this…indescribable feeling of satisfaction that came from watching Serafall's reactions. He starts to think that this might be the side of him that loves to bully people taking control of his mind. _"I wonder why I have this kind of feeling… Perhaps my 'S' side has finally awakened?" _Sirzechs casually thought.

"Eh? What would I do if It-tan is the same age as me?" Serafall muttered. She began to think hard on how to answer such question, because she never give thought to that kind of 'what if' situation. She starts to imagine many things, from meeting Itachi as a child to growing up with him. As she continues to imagine about those 'what if' situation, steams begun to rise from her head, and her face slowly becomes bright red.

Sirzechs, having seen this kind of reaction from his sister and many other women, knew full well what reaction is this.

"Serafall. You. Are. Blushing." Sirzechs teased with a wide smile. Serafall'e eyes widen and she stomped the ground, while making a very angry yet very cute face.

"Ah, MOU~! Sirzechs-chan!" Serafall yelled once more, as Sirzechs is trying his best to hold his laughter.

Unfortunately for the Crimson Satan, he did not realize the arrival of his beloved wife/maid earlier who is currently hiding in the shadow, with her presence completely concealed from both Satans. Slowly, she stepped out from the shadow. After the third step, Sirzechs suddenly froze mid-laughter, because of the cold aura of his ever devoted wife/maid. Even Serafall looks restless as she noticed the presence of Grayfia. Sirzechs swallowed his fear, and slowly turns around. With an awkward smile on his face, the only thing he could say after seeing the expression on Grayfia's face was….

"Welcome back honey~."

He then got punched straight on the face.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sirzechs-sama. I have returned to give you the report regarding that matter." Grayfia coldly began. "However, seeing that you were so busy teasing Serafall-sama, I believe that you have no need for me to explain anything. By all means, please continue and forget all about your duty."

"I'm sowwy, Gwayfia~!" Sirzechs lamely cried.

After he was punched by Grayfia, his face was practically deformed from the force of the hit. Even till now, his face is still a sight to behold, with nose broken and his cheeks swollen, it even caused Serafall to grimace just by seeing it.

Grayfia turns around to face Serafall, and bow her head. "Serafall-sama, please forgive this unsightly person. I have 'told' him not to do stupid things many times, but it seems my 'methods' were ineffective. I shall prescribe a new and more potent 'method' after this, so you have no need to be worried." Grayfia explained with a matter of factly voice.

Sirzechs and Serafall immediately paled. With Sirzechs paler than Serafall. Both of them knew what Grayfia meant by 'method' and how 'potent' it would be if she was the one doing it. Sirzechs shakily turns his head towards Serafall, and Serafall could see that Sirzechs eyes are literally begging for her to stop Grayfia. So, Serafall, being the benevolent maou shoujou that she is, decides to divert Grayfia's attention from her anger.

"Grayfia-chan! Is it true that It-tan is coming back?" Serafall asked.

"Yes, Serafall-sama. In fact, I met him just now, and wanted to report this to Sirzechs-sama." Grayfia said. "I have also taken the responsibility of easing the concerns that Rias-sama's peerage might have. It would be preferable if they will not do anything reckless."

"Ne! Ne! Grayfia-chan! How's It-tan?" Serafall excitedly asked.

"He looks fine. He…" Before Grayfia could say another word, Serafall vigorously shakes her shoulders.

"Muu~, that's not what I meant. Is he still the same?" Serafall asked while pouting. Grayfia let out a small sighs, and then she subtly releases herself from Serafall's grips.

"He is still the same old Itachi…" Grayfia said while sighing once more. Serafall became ecstatic after hearing that, and she starts jumping around in delight.

"Really? Yahoo~!" Serafall excitedly shouted. "I'm glad It-tan hasn't change. I was worried that he somehow got corrupted, because I wasn't with him. But, if he's still the same, then it's alright, I guess."

"_You guess?" _Grayfia curiously thought. "You seem really happy that he has not changed at all."

"Of course! If It-tan changed, then it's not It-tan anymore, Grayfia-chan! I don't want to lose the male version of So-tan after all!" Serafall proclaimed loudly. Grayfia raised an eyebrow after hearing that, and she could see that there is a glint in Serafall's eyes. Grayfia knew what kind of glint that was, and it was definitely not one that belongs to someone who thought about a man as a sibling.

"Was that truly the reason though?" Grayfia muttered with a very low voice, so low that not even Serafall's and Sirzechs' ears could pick it up.

"Grayfia-chan, did you say something?" Serafall asked. Grayfia simply shakes her head in response, and she let out another small sigh.

"_That boy… I don't know whether I should be amazed of him or not. He better take care of this before it turns into something ugly… Especially if Rias and those girls found out about this. Maybe I should have a 'discussion' with him regarding a woman's heart later."_ Grayfia mused, before she answer Serafall's question. "No, it was nothing Serafall-sama. I simply muttered something to myself." Grayfia answered with a voice that left no room for further question.

"Hm~? Is that so?" Serafall then begun to wink at Grayfia while giving out her usual magical girl poses. "Well then, Grayfia-chan! Tell me about It-tan! And where he was all this time!" Serafall demanded with a very cute expression, which will make most people faltered, but of course it has no effect on Grayfia.

"I believe it will be for the best if you ask that question to him directly. I merely met him briefly before I returned to report to Sirzechs-sama." Grayfia explained calmly. Serafall pouted at Grayfia's answer, and then she starts flailing her arms childishly.

"But! But! It-tan will definitely avoid me and not giving me any answer! I'm certain that he will even ignore me like he always did!" Serafall whined.

"_That's because you're always tried to cuddle him the moment you saw him…" _Grayfia and Sirzechs thought at the same time. Grayfia ignored Serafall's whining, and turned her attention to Sirzechs.

"Sirzechs-sama, it is best if you begin the preparation. I have given the letter that you wrote to Itachi, but if you are not present, then it will become futile." Grayfia said.

"Well~, even if I'm not there, he definitely can take care of it~." Sirzechs jovially said. His expression turns into one of pure horror, however, when Grayfia emitted a very cold and frightening aura.

"Sirzechs-sama." Grayfia sternly began. "I thought we discussed this already. I will allow you to entrust him with the responsibilities of looking after Rias-sama. However, I do not want him to shoulder those burdens alone. We should help him when we can, especially since he is…" Grayfia halted the final word, because Sirzechs put a finger on his mouth. She then remembers that there is one more person in here that has no idea about Itachi's secret.

"Especially since It-tan is what?" Serafall innocently asked. They both turned around, and saw that Serafall has stopped whining, and currently staring at them with a piercing look. Before Grayfia and Sirzechs could make up an excuse, Serafall continues. "Sirzechs-chan, Grayfia-chan. What are you two hiding?" Serafall questioned while glaring at the two of them.

Sirzechs and Grayfia stared at each other for a moment, before they turned their attention back to Serafall. Serafall's eyes demand answer from them, and literally said that she would not let them go unless they answer her question. After a moment of contemplation, Grayfia decides to reveal Itachi's secret to Serafall, but surprisingly it was Sirzechs who voiced their thought.

"Serafall." Sirzechs began. Serafall turns around to face Sirzechs, and see that his injuries have gone. "Since it seems that it was futile to try and hide this from you any longer, I shall reveal to you everything I know about Itachi-kun. However, please bear in mind that this is to be kept secret among us, for Itachi-kun's safety above all else." Sirzechs explained with a gaze that was truly unlike him.

"Mu! Don't worry! You can count on me! No matter what secret it was, I'll keep it to myself if it would protect It-tan!" Serafall assured while pounding her chest with her right hand. Sirzechs smiles at Serafall's response, and he stares at Grayfia. Grayfia merely sigh, but then she gives him a nod of approval.

With that, he opened his mouth, and began to tell Serafall everything he knows about Itachi.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Gremory castle – Forest] **

"This should suffice…" said one Uchiha Itachi as he zipped his jacket. He is currently wearing a long-sleeved red shirt, with a black jacket on top of it. He wears black jeans that seem to accommodate much freedom for his legs to move. He has also changed his shoes into one that is more practical, yet more blended with this world. In other words, he is wearing sport shoes instead of shinobi sandals. A black one too.

Earlier, when he arrived in the Underworld, he immediately sneaked into the forest inside Gremory castle. He hid here so that he could take off his bandages and changed his outfit from his black cloak into one that is more proper without anyone seeing. He burned his cloak and the bandages so that no one would be able to trace him, in case they were looking for the Shroud of Turin in his possession. Not that he has any left though. Which is why, he needs to burn it so that there would be no evidence that could point out to him. It was not a problem for him though, if they came after him and him alone. But he does not want to endanger his friends any more than he already has, and it's better to be extra careful than not, so he burned it down to crisp. Although, he is very sure that Professor would give him a mouthful of complaint later for destroying an object of great historical value like it was an ordinary cloth.

Itachi slowly walks to the nearby lake, which is the lake where he used to spend his time with Rias and the others, and see the reflection of himself. He adjusted his necklace, and hid it behind his shirt. He looks at his reflection again, but then after he blinked for the third time, a silhouette of _something _appeared on his reflection.

It encompassed him, yet at the same time it seems to be emitted from inside him.

It has no form, yet it is humanoid because of Itachi's own form.

It is devoid of color, yet the void of its color can be seen far more clearly than any color in the world.

It stares at its own reflection, yet at the same time it stares at the moon that it sees from inside its own reflection.

It is there, yet at the same time it is also not there.

If there is another person who saw this silhouette, then without a doubt they could only describe it as….

_SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT BELONG IN THE WORLD._

Itachi stared at the silhouette for a moment before muttering…

"So… What do you want to do?" Itachi muttered as he continues to stare at the silhouette that encompassed him.

In response to Itachi's question, the lake's water shakes once.

"Do you want to go back to 'sleep' or do you want to watch?" clarified Itachi.

The water shakes again.

"I see… I'm sorry, but the answer is no." Itachi replied while slightly shaking his head.

The water shakes violently in response to Itachi's answer.

"You need to understand… I have no plan to eliminate Raizer Phenex. If you came out and fight, the results will not only be his death, but total annihilation. My friends aside, I can't risk having you annihilate the other devils there, whether I knew them or not." Itachi calmly explained.

The water becomes serene once more, and Itachi wondered whether his explanation was enough or not. The answer came when the lake's water suddenly explodes to all directions, and Itachi was forced to jump quite a distance away from the lake, lest his clothes got wet. Itachi frowned, because he knew that this is its way of throwing tantrum. He took a deep breath and then…

"ENOUGH!"

He gave out a very loud shout, which managed to pacify the atmosphere around him. Itachi take a look at the now empty lake, and then he shakes his head in disappointment.

"If you're way of showing discontent is by destroying things, then I cannot let you out, unless you can truly behave yourself." Itachi explained.

…

"Well, first thing first is, you need to be more understanding of our situation." Itachi began. "We are not living alone. There are many lives out there that are just as precious as, or even more so than ours. You mustn't carelessly wield your powers like it would not cause any consequence."

…**.**

"I know… However, right now…. You are a PART of me…Understood?" Itachi reminded it once more.

…

"Good…" Itachi muttered with a small sigh. He then feels a subtle tug, which signified that it has entered its 'slumber'. Itachi stared at his chest for a brief moment, before he looks at the empty lake and pondered on how to fix this mess, since he was partially responsible for this.

"_I need to refill the lake. It'll be no good if their favorite lake's gone just like that." _Itachi passively thought. He closed his eyes, and measured the amount of chakra in his body. _"It's not enough for more powerful jutsus yet, but this should be more than enough…"_ He opens his eyes and flashes several hand seals.

"_**SUITON: Mizurappa"**_

Water gushes out from his mouth and began to fill the empty lake. Itachi, seeing that the water has already filled the lake, decides to find a resting spot so that he can recover his chakra. He quickly pondered where he should rest, since he has no doubt that guards will start coming here, because of his earlier shout.

It's not that he was afraid of being spotted by those guards; it's their reactions which are very troublesome. Since today's event is one of the major events in the Underworld, then there is no doubt that the security would be far stricter than it used to be. In this kind of event, if the guards are suspicious of you, then that is more than enough reason to throw someone into a detainment place. It does not matter whether he claimed he was sent her by Sirzechs or not. They would only listen to him if he was a very famous devil, which he – unfortunately - was not.

Another problem is the arrangement of guards. If it was the guards of Gremory clan who came, then they might recognize him, and let him be. But, right now, guards which belong to many different clans are posted here. And many of them do not know him. Even if they do, professionalism would hinder them from helping him, and Itachi himself does not want to cause trouble for them. However, what concerns him the most is the fact that he might waste time if he has to deal with those hard-headed guards, which would prevent him from recovering enough chakra for tonight.

His musing was abruptly halted as he sensed the presence of devils four hundred meters east from his current location. He stared at that direction, and then his body slowly dispersed into dozens of crows.

"_Maybe I should try that place…" _Itachi thought as he dispersed completely.

With that, the crows are heading towards the direction of the Gremory garden, leaving behind the confused newly arrived guards who have no idea what just occurred on that place.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Gremory castle – Garden]**

In the private garden of the Gremory household, one which was usually forbidden except for the masters and their guests, a young blonde-haired girl sat. However, unlike her usual prideful and haughty look, right now she is looking at the scene in front of her with a depressed look. Although she was looking at the flowers intensely, however, her mind was actually focused on the conversation between Rias and her older brother.

"Hah…" She let out a very unladylike sigh, and then she buried her face on her thighs. "What to do…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

**~ 1 hour earlier ~ [Rias' room]**

"Rias-sama. May I come in?" Ravel asked hesitantly.

"Ah. Ravel. Please, don't be shy and enter." Rias gently urged. The door to her room opened, and Ravel slowly came inside with a bit of hesitation in her steps. Ravel looks up and sees that Rias has finished wearing her white dress.

"You look very beautiful, Rias-sama." Ravel complimented with a warm smile.

"Ara. Thank you very much, Ravel." Rias replied, also with a smile plastered to her face. Seeing her smiling face, Ravel starts fidgeting, something that does not went unnoticed by Rias. "Is there something wrong?"

"Rias-sama. Are you really okay with this?" Ravel began. "Onii-sama fought you, but he did not fight his battle like Ruval-niisama did. Losing from someone like Onii-sama and then forced to marry him, are you really okay with this?" Ravel asked.

"Of course not." Rias instantly answered without so much as drawing a breath. "There's no way I'm okay with this. But, the fact is Ravel, I lost. And the agreement was, I shall marry Raizer if I lost against him." Rias explained as she slowly closed her eyes.

"But!"

"Ravel." Rias calmly interrupted Ravel before she could say another word. "What's done…is done." Rias said with a small sad smile as she opened her eyes.

…

…..

…..

Ravel clenched her hands and gritted her teeth. For some reason, she has this ugly feeling whenever she was thinking about her soon-to-be sister–in-law marrying her brother. She just dislikes the way her brother had claimed his victory, and Rias' apparent submission. She thought about it for a moment, and then she summons her courage after realizing that there is one thing that may be able to flare up Rias' spirit once more.

"Then… Rias-sama. What about Uchiha Itachi?" Ravel asked. Rias flinched as she heard that name, and her eyes slowly narrowed. "Will you just abandon him? What if he is waiting for you?"

"Ravel."

"Rias-sama. I never experienced love before, but I know that if you gave up the chance of spending your life with the man you love, then you will regret it."

"Ravel."

"It is not because you want to be with him that you challenged Onii-sama? Then you should not fa…."

"Ravel!" Rias shouted with a wavering voice.

"Ah!" Ravel gasped with surprise etched on her face. The reason of her surprised was not because of Rias' shout, but rather the expression that appeared on Rias' face.

She never expected that a proud devil like Rias could show that kind of expression. An expression that only appears on those who had their dreams snatched away, or denied of it. It was the darkest aspect that every living being has. It was despair.

What Rias has shown was the face of utter despair, one that lacked any kind of hope. It was an unnerving sight for Ravel, for she doesn't know where the proud and strong girl that Rias was twelve days ago has disappeared. She swallowed down her anxiousness and mustered the courage to ask a particular question.

"It's because of the arrangement, isn't it?" stated Ravel. She was very sure that the marriage arrangement is the reason why Rias fell into the state of despair. However, to her surprise, instead of giving any form of confirmation, Rias simply shakes her head in denial.

"Ravel…" Rias slowly began. "Have you ever felt very useless?"

"N-no…"

"I have… Once, when I was a child." Rias told her as she reminisced about her childhood. Her expression then grew very bitter, and if Ravel's eyes didn't deceive her, she could see tears on the edge of Rias' eyes. "I thought I was no longer useless, but it seems I think too highly of myself." Rias explained with a mocking smile.

"B-but, Rias-sama is not useless!" Ravel said in an attempt to console Rias.

"But I lost. No matter what method Raizer used, a lost is a lost" Rias simply stated.

"Ah…"

"And because I lost, doesn't that make me useless?" Rias asked. However, to Ravel, that sound more like a statement of fact, instead of a question.

"…."

"Ravel. I'm not sad that I have to marry Raizer. As a Gremory and a high-class devil, I know that society will demand that I upheld tradition. However, it's a different matter entirely when I lost." Rias said.

"W-why?" Ravel managed to push out her voice. Rias looks at Ravel for a moment, and then she avert her eyes towards the moon outside the window while drawing a small breath.

"Because, it's the proof that I'm still the same little girl that I was ten years ago. The same little girl who need someone to protect her." Rias told her. "I hate my own powerlessness. It is better that I lost now instead of later. This way, no one will be hurt because of me. Not my peerage and definitely not Itachi. He wouldn't get hurt because of me again." finished Rias.

"But what about your own freedom, Rias-sama? What about your future? Your l-l-love for him?" Ravel asked, her face redden because of embarrassment from saying the word 'love'. In response to Ravel's question, Rias simply counters it with her own.

"What makes you think that I have any right to be with him? To be in love with him? When all I did was simply becoming a burden for him?" Rias questioned while glaring at Ravel. Despite the fierce look that Rias gave, to Ravel, she looks like a little girl who will burst out crying at any moment. "All I want is to stand side-by-side with him, yet I couldn't even take care of my own problems. I fear that if I continue to be like this, one day he would sacrifice his life to protect me, like he almost did all those years ago." Rias told her as a drop of tear slowly dripping from her right eye.

"Rias…sama…" muttered Ravel with concerns visible on her face. She has conflicted feelings as she face Rias' wavering form, due to her lack of experience in this kind of situation. She doesn't know how to respond to Rias' words, so the only thing she can do is to close her eyes in pain.

"Ravel… I appreciate your concern; however, it is best that you do not…." Rias could not finish what he wanted to say, because suddenly Ravel grabbed her shoulders.

"Rias-sama, you're wrong!" Ravel yelled at her. Before Rias could even express her surprise at the younger girl's sudden outburst, Ravel continue. "Being a burden is not a reason why you should give up on the person you care about!"

"Ravel…" Rias muttered.

"Rias-sama. Don't lose hope! I know for sure that you'll get through this one way or another! I'm sure of it!" Ravel said with a very strong conviction visible on her face and voice.

"…." Rias could only stare at Ravel without saying a word. For some reason, Ravel's words, although they sound very clumsy, but hearing it warmed her heart. A small smile appeared on her face, and then she decides to tease the younger girl. "How can you be so sure? (Eh?) Do you plan on opposing your family and the Underworld to save me – _a girl_? My, Ravel, I never knew that you actually prefer that kind of relationship." teased Rias as she covered her mouth with her hand and began chuckling.

"W-w-w-what? No! I do not have that kind of intention!" Ravel stuttered with steams slowly rise from her red face. Rias merely laugh at Ravel's reaction, and Ravel could feel fire on her face. "I-I-I am…. It's not like that, Rias-sama!" Ravel yelled as she bolted out from the room with her face even redder than tomato.

"Fufufufufu… Such an innocent girl…" Rias laughed. She stares at the open door for a moment with a smile on her lips, but then she frowned. "Even if you said that Ravel… What if Itachi think of me as a burden? What if…the reason why he hasn't come back is because he wants nothing to do with me?" muttered Rias. Tears then began to drip from her eyes once more.

"What if…..he doesn't care about me anymore…?" Rias sobbed.

Betraying her pessimism, however, a certain someone has already arrived here to prevent her life from turning into a tragedy.

**[End Flashback]**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Hah… Is there nothing I can do?" Ravel muttered. She then began to sulk, and buried her face in her thighs once more.

After that fiasco with Rias, she retreated to this place, because there's no one in this place. With her mood downed to the very bottom, she doesn't want to talk to anybody nor being surrounded by those noisy devils a.k.a. her brother's peerage. She even declined her brother's request to eat with him, and gave him the cold shoulders.

Of course being the sister of a pervert bastard that is Raiser, her disappearance sparked worries in a bunch of women a.k.a. Raiser's peerage, who are trying their best to find her. On the other hand, Raiser himself was busy for tonight's event, and has no time to worry about her.

So immersed she is in her sulking that Ravel does not noticed the arrival of a certain man in the garden.

"_Hm? If I'm not mistaken, that girl is…" _thought one Uchiha Itachi from behind the gates. He chose this place to recover his chakra, since there _should _be no one here, because of the ongoing party. He thought that since this place are restricted to guards and servants alike, and noble devils are too busy with the party, no one will be here. However, it seems he slightly miscalculated the possibility that there would be someone here.

He slowly stepped in, and after a closer look, he is now certain that the girl in the garden is…..

"Ravel…Phenex…" Itachi muttered. Ravel's ears twitched at the mentioning of her name, and she looks up only to see a black-haired man standing a few meters away from her. From his appearance, Ravel deduced that he must be an off duty servant. "Please forgive my intrusion… I… did not think that there would be someone else here." Itachi politely apologized. Ravel stares at the man in front of her curiously due to his politeness, but then her haughty attitude kicks in.

"Hmph! It seems imbecile like you do not know your place. You are inside the Gremory garden that only devils with high standing are allowed to enter, and not some low-class devils like you. Leave, now!" Ravel scolded him. Itachi raises his eyebrows at the sudden change in her mood, and he decided to just comply with her. But as he turned around and began to leave, Ravel suddenly pulled his sleeve. "However, seeing that you are already here, I'll give you permission to attend to me." Ravel told Itachi while closing her eyes and giving him her proud smile which caused to Itachi sweat drop at what she just said.

"_Does she want me to leave, or does she not want me to leave?"_ Itachi thought as he continues to sweat drop. "Ravel-sama. What exactly are you doing here?" Itachi questioned.

"Hmph! Don't you know how to properly talk to a lady?" Ravel told him, annoyed that the man treated her like an ordinary girl. Before Itachi could apologize, Ravel continues. "And I have no obligation to tell you anything." Ravel said. Itachi passively stares at her, and then he let out a small sigh.

"Pardon me for my misconduct then, both for how I conversed with you and for my question." Itachi apologized while bowing his head slightly.

"Good, good. That's how you should treat a lady of my standing. With a _lot _of respect." Ravel proudly declared. Itachi does not know how to respond to that. She radiates so much pride that it will be troublesome for him to clean things up should he make a mistake in dealing with her. He decided to just find an excuse to leave, but before he could so much think about it, Ravel opens her mouth. "Seeing that you have known your place, I shall grant you the reward of knowing what has been plaguing my mind." Ravel told him with a tone that said she doesn't care about his opinion.

….

…..

….

Itachi sweat dropped again.

"_She said she doesn't want to tell me anything, yet, now this… I wonder… Is this how young girls these days act?" _Itachi thought. He couldn't help but feel that there is a certain word that fits to describe the girl in front of him. However, his mind blocked it away for two reasons. First, his mind insists that there is simply no way _that kind _of girl exists in the real world. Second, his brain blocked it for his own safety, for a massive headache awaits him should he remember that word. _"Better comply with her." _Itachi thought. "Please, let me hear your story then, Ravel-sama." Ravel nodded in approval at his _insistence_, and then she led him to sit on a bench.

"Hm…. Where should I start…" Ravel muttered while holding up her chin.

"How about from the reason why you were sulking earlier." Itachi suggested.

"Y-y-y-you saw that?!" Ravel asked with a heavy blush on her face. Itachi simply nod at her question, which sparks an even heavier blush on Ravel. "D-d-d-don't you dare tell anyone about that!" ordered Ravel as she glared at Itachi furiously.

"I won't." Itachi instantly answered. Ravel tilts her head slightly at the frankness of his answer, but then she furiously glares at him again.

"Don't lie! I bet you're going to…"

"I won't." Itachi repeated before she could say another word. "I promise." Itachi assured her as he looks at her in the eyes. In response, Ravel immediately looks away in embarrassment, and folds her arms.

"Then that's fine. However! Next time I expect you to be more sensitive to a girl's situation." Ravel scolded him while pointing at his face. Itachi sighed a bit at her attitude. He wants to tell her that every person who saw what he saw would definitely said similar things, however, he refrain from saying it, because he doesn't want to spark further trouble.

"Thank you for your advice, Ravel-sama." Itachi said.

"As long as you understand." Ravel said while puffing up her chest. "Now you better be quiet and listen to my problem." ordered the young girl.

"_But you're the one who speak the most." _Itachi flatly thought.

"You were thinking of something very insulting, didn't you?" Ravel outrightly accused.

"No." Itachi passively replied. However, in reality he was very surprised that the girl in front of him possesses such a refine instinct. No, it's not correct to call it instinct; it's more accurate to be called a sixth sense. _"Maybe it has something to do with her bloodline."_ Itachi thought. Unfortunately, it has _nothing_ to do with bloodline or power. Most girls possess a more powerful sixth sense than men, and this is just one of the few instants where it was clearly manifested.

"You're not lying, right?" Ravel interrogated.

"No."

"Hmph!" She defiantly threw her head away, and folded her arms. Ravel couldn't help but be skeptical, since her intuition keeps telling her that the man was insulting him in his mind. However, seeing the passive look that the man gives, she could only sigh and drops her arms to her sides. "Okay, then promise me that you won't laugh after hearing this." Ravel ordered while jabbing her finger on Itachi's chest.

"I promise." Itachi said with an assuring look.

Ravel stares at him, and then she began to summarize her problems, which are the rating game against Rias, her brother, and most importantly about her conversation with Rias. She told him although she is proud of her brother's strength, but lately she isn't so sure anymore after witnessing Rias' determination. Not to mention the way her brother won against Rias. For someone who boasts about his power, winning by using the Phoenix Tears has somehow made her doubt her brother's strength. And then there is a matter of Rias and Uchiha Itachi. She could not believe that the man whom Rias cares about didn't come to save her, which led Rias in a state of depression. Itachi raised his eyebrows when his name was mentioned, but he opted to just stay silent and let the young girl finished venting her frustration. Ravel kept ranting on and on about how irresponsible the man named Itachi was, and that she is going to burn him if she ever meet him one day. Hearing that, Itachi could not help but to let out a small laugh.

"Hey! You said you won't laugh at me!" Ravel protested. Before she could say another word, he spread his left hand in front of her.

"Forgive me. I didn't laugh at you, but at the idea of you burning this 'Uchiha Itachi'." Itachi said with a small smile.

"Is there any problem with that?" Ravel asked with a glare.

"No. In fact, I had the same thought as you, which is why I laughed." Itachi stated.

"…Hmm…." Ravel held up her chin and began to contemplate about this. "Do you know him?"

"I've heard about him…" Itachi lied to her. Ravel didn't ask any further, because the news about Uchiha Itachi was indeed an old one, so there should be quite a number of devils who've heard about him. She looks at him fiercely, and tried to say something, but Itachi beat her to it. "Ravel-sama. I have no intention to intrude upon your family businesses, however, mind if I ask something?"

"Go on."

"What do you think of your brother?" Itachi calmly asked.

"Onii-sama… I respect him for his strength, but sometimes his perverted behavior kind of getting on my nerves." Ravel began while frowning and folding her arms again. "I mean, he made me his bishop, because he wanted a _tsundere-imouto _type on his peerage, and not because of my strength. I couldn't…hey. What's wrong with you?" Ravel curiously asked as she saw the current state of Itachi.

That was the word. The word that Itachi's mind had tried to block since he spoke with this girl. The moment he heard that word, Itachi's brain ceased to function in order to protect it against the incoming assaults, and as the result his body and recognitive ability has also ceased to function. Ravel waves her hand in front of him a few times, but she didn't receive any kind of response from the older man. In response to this, she pouted. Never before she was ignored like this, not even her pervert of a brother ignored her. Seeing that it seems he won't snap out of his trance anytime soon, Ravel ignites her right hand.

"Take this…. The punishment for ignoring a lady. Pheneeeex WRATH!" Ravel yelled as she brought her flaming fist to Itachi's left cheek. Her fist hit Itachi's flesh, however, to her surprise, what she hit wasn't Itachi's face, but his right palm. Itachi stares at her flame-engulfed fist for a moment, before he easily extinguished her flame. "What! How did you do that?!" Ravel asked with shock visible on her face.

"Your flame…is still immature…" Itachi replied.

"What do you mean? Are you insulting me?!" Ravel yelled at him. Itachi shakes his head in denial.

"That means…you have lot of rooms for improvement." Itachi said.

"….I-is that so?" Ravel asked. Itachi simply nod at her. She arrogantly smiled after Itachi confirm it, but then she noticed one thing and her face starts to become red. "Umm… Could you please let go of my hand?" Ravel pleaded with a blush. Itachi released his grip on her right hand, and inspect the damage on his hand, before he turns his attention back to her. "T-Thank you." Ravel said. She averted her eyes from him and began to rub her right hand that Itachi touched with her left. People who saw this might think that she was disgusted by the fact that some random guy touched her, an unmarried young girl's hand. However, the faint blush on her face will prompt most people to comment the same thing as Itachi who saw the way she reacted.

"So, this is a tsundere…" Itachi muttered with a very low voice.

"Did you say something?" Ravel asked him.

"It's…nothing." Itachi passively replied. Ravel look at him suspiciously, but then Itachi continues. "Ravel-sama. I haven't received the answer to my question."

"What? I've told you my answer already. I…"

"You told me about why you respect him, but not what you _think _about him. No, maybe I should rephrase it. As his sister, what do you think of Raiser Phenex, both as a brother and as a man?" Itachi asked her. For some reason, Ravel shuddered as she feels the intensity of Itachi's gaze. She doesn't know why, but the way he looks at her is very similar with the way her eldest brother looks at her. Intense and powerful, yet noble and reassuring.

"I don't know. I never…"

"Have you ever thought that maybe your brother was wrong? Have you tried to stand up to him?" Itachi interrupted her.

"Wha… Why are you asking these questions anyway?" Ravel yelled as she quickly stood up.

"Because, it will be up to you as his sister to reminds him whenever he done something wrong. To stop him if he's heading down a dark path." Itachi explained.

"Why me? There are still Ruval-niisama, Otou-sama and Okaa-sama. So, why me?"

"Because, you are young and untainted." Itachi answered simply. "Not to mention, a girl has a different perspective and is more sensitive than a man." Itachi said as he locked eyes with her. "However, the most important thing is, you are his family. Elder brothers do tend to listen to their younger sister more so than to their parents." Itachi finished with a small smile. However, rage builds up inside Ravel, and she began to lash out at him.

"How could you be so sure about that?! What do you know about Onii-sama! You… You…imbecile!" yelled Ravel. Itachi merely stares at her passively, and patiently wait until she finished yelling at him. Ravel took a deep breath and tried to resume her yelling. However, this time Itachi will not give her that luxury.

"I don't."

"What?" Ravel couldn't understand what the man tried to conveyed, and she tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't know about the future, what it will hold for us, and I know almost nothing about your brother." Itachi began. Itachi stopped Ravel from saying anything, by looking intensely at her in the eyes. "Which is why, if somehow your brother were to walk on the wrong path, it will be up to you to stop him and bring him back to his senses." Itachi explained.

"Still, that's no reason why I should be the…"

"From the way I heard about it…. You are the one closest to your brother… Which means, he would definitely listen to you." Itachi told her.

…

…..

…..

"What is this all about?" Ravel asked. "What's the significant of all of your questions?" Ravel interrogated.

"Truthfully? Nothing at all (Wha-?!). It was just an advice from a passing-by person, who coincidentally intruded upon the Gremory's garden, who coincidentally met one of the members of the honorable Phenex household. All the things I said were based on 'what if' situation, which may or may not happen. All of those were merely my speculations of the future, because I heard some _unfavorable _news about your brother. Which is why, I felt like I need to warn you, especially since I've heard that you joined your brother's peerage." Itachi told her as he averted his eyes to the direction of Gremory castle.

"So what? You're saying all those complicated things simply because you're worried about me?" Ravel snickered. However, Itachi's answer is definitely one that she never expected. He passively looks back at her, and opens his mouth.

"Yes." Itachi bluntly answered without any change on his passive expression.

"Wha-wha-wha…." Ravel became flustered due to the bluntness of the man in front of her. Never before she had someone worried about her personally and openly admitted it like him. Usually, people either worried about her, because she is a member of the Phenex clan, or that person is trying to act nice and get a connection with lord Phenex through her. However, the man in front of her is neither trying to act nice like those swindles, nor he seems to care about her statue based on the way he talked to her. She could feel heat rise to her face, and she turns around so that Itachi will not be able to see it.

Unknown to Ravel, however, the one whom Itachi actually concerned of treading the dark path was not Raizer, but her. As he said before, she is _young _and _untainted. _Which means, she can be subjected to corruption. When her fist hits his hand earlier, he confirmed her magic potential, which he had sensed when he first saw her. It is still sleeping. She still has not realizes it. However, it's a lot. Even if he compared it to other young devils, Ravel is still one of the top young devils in term of magic potential. The only one whom Itachi knew surpasses her and those devils in term of potentials is Milicas, which is reasonable really, considering who his parents are. This brings an issue on its own, however. Potential means power, and with power came the risk of corruption. If on the way to adulthood, Ravel was somehow got corrupted, then without a doubt she would definitely ended up in _that place. _

Itachi does not wish for that to happen. And so, by saying all those things, he introduced the thing called 'purpose' into her young mind. By letting her focus on a fixed and visible 'purpose', hopefully she would be able to fully awaken her potential without getting distracted on the way. He hopes that way she could safely grow up into a fine adult, and have an unwavering conviction. Itachi does not want to see this young girl ended up in the purgatory, alongside those fallen people, even though they've just met less than an hour ago, especially since he knows how terrible that place is.

"Hey. Did you listen to me?" Ravel's voice brought Itachi out of his musing, and he looks up to see Ravel staring at his face.

"Forgive me. Did you say something?" Itachi inquired. He was so immersed in his contemplation that he failed to grasp the slight change in Ravel's mood earlier.

"I said…do you want me to cut your hair?" Ravel offered.

"Why?" Itachi curiously asked. In response, Ravel closed her eyes and began to fidget.

"I-it's not like your hairstyle is uncool or whatever, but you know, your long hair makes you look like a woman from behind." Ravel mumbled while turning away once more. She then added in a very small voice. "Besides, I want to do this at least once." muttered Ravel with a faint blush. Itachi could not hear the last part of Ravel's words, but for some reason there is this feeling of impending doom in his heart. However, he simply shrugged it off, and decided to make use of this situation.

"Where's the tools?" Itachi asked. Ravel's face became very bright, and she excitedly stands up in front of him.

"Ah, I can borrow it from the servants. You just wait here, okay?" Although it was a request, but to Itachi, it sounded more like an order when it came out from her mouth.

"Sure." Itachi replied. Ravel energetically bolted out from the garden, leaving Itachi to watch her ran off with a smile on his face. However, he then added in a very small voice. "Take as much time as possible." muttered Itachi.

After he was sure that Ravel's gone, he let out an audible sigh while massaging his temple. He starts lamenting on his luck, meeting Ravel Phenex here out of all place and time, and discovering that she is actually a tsundere. Just thinking about it brings migraine to his brain. However, not all is bad, for he managed to learn something important, which is Rias' condition. He blamed himself for underestimating Rias' trauma. He should have notice it earlier that Rias hasn't let go of that incident years ago, where they were attacked when she was still a child. And it seems she has developed a severe case of depression, whenever she feels powerless.

"That Rias…" Itachi muttered with a sigh. "Only 1 hour and 12 minutes left until the party starts." muttered Itachi while staring at his watch. _"I better do it now."_ He then takes a meditative position and began to recover his chakra.

He decided to just stay here rather than finding a new place. Partially, because he is not sure that there is any other place that is a as desolate as this, and mainly, because he is not sure how Ravel would react if he suddenly gone. For all he knows, she might even searches the entire castle for his whereabouts, all the while drawing an unwanted attention from all the devils here. If that happens, it will blow up his plan for tonight. Which is why he complied with her whims so that he could buy himself some times, which is the time when she looks for the tools. He uses those times to recover his chakra and also to check on the devils who are attending tonight's party.

Itachi took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then he expands his senses. He frown a bit as he could feel the strain on his body due to him forcing his senses to act like a sensor type, even though he isn't one. He poured even greater effort on his concentration, and he could feel his chakra twisting in his body. The ones exhausted immediately replaced by the ones came in. This process made Itachi feels like there is a tornado inside his body. However, he could not afford to pay attention to trivial things like that. He sharpens his mind and senses, and he finally managed to sense the aura of _every _single devil in this castle. Itachi smiled as he now knows the location of all devils, and he is familiar with some of them.

He immediately focused it on the area where there is a massive amount of energy gathered. _"This powerful motherly aura…. Grayfia-san" _Itachi thought with a smile as he noticed Grayfia's aura. _"This goofiness…Sirzechs-san." _Itachi thought as he rubbed his face. The next one, however, caused a pain on his brain. "This powerful, yet childish presence…. There's no mistake…. It's….Serafall…san…" Itachi darkly muttered. He really wants to curse his luck. For all people he had to bring with, Sirzechs picked Serafall. It's not that he does not want to meet Serafall, nor he afraid of her. It's just she's always persistently tried to cuddle him in her breasts, which made him feel extremely wary whenever he is around her.

"_Maybe it's better if I wait until she went home…" _Itachi flatly thought. He knew that such notion was but a fleeting hope. With Sona's here, then there's no doubt that she will only go back with Sona. And he's very convinced that Sona will stay here until the party's ends. This means, Serafall will also stay here until the party's ends. "And if I wait that long… Seriously Serafall-san. She threw my plan off course just by being here…." Itachi muttered with a sigh.

He decided to just accept his fate, and continues to observe the attendees. "This fierce lion-like presence….Sairaorg. The cool icy one…Sona. The fallen angel-like devil…Akeno." Itachi muttered without any surprise. He already suspected that Grayfia would tell Rias' peerage about this, but he certainly didn't expect that _all _of them would come here. He raised his eyebrows curiously as he sensed the rest of Rias' peerage in the same place as Rias' room.

"The nekomata devil…Koneko. Swift and fast…Kiba Yuuto. Gentle, bright and warm…Asia Argento. Draig's aura…Hyoudou Issei. And finally….Rias…" Itachi said to himself. He pondered about what kind of conversation occurred on that particular room right now; however, suddenly a very dark and twisted aura made him turned his concentration to the ballroom. _"Who…is this…?" _Itachi thought with a frown. _"Who possess this twisted, yet familiar aura…?" _

He increased his concentration even further, and he could sense that a certain nun has entered the ballroom, and at that exact moment, the person who possesses the dark aura turns his attention to her. _"Why is this devil seems to be interested in Asia Argento? Where have I sense this devil's aura…?" _He pressed his right hand fingers into his forehead, and began to recall his memories. He began from the moment he came to this world, meeting the Gremory clan, the encounter with Serafall, first meeting with Ajuka – wait. Itachi rewind that memory. The memory when he met Ajuka. Somehow, this devil possesses a similar aura with Ajuka. However, in comparison with Ajuka's eccentric, his is sinister, yet far weaker in term of, well, _everything. _

"_That's the first hint… Next is Asia Argento..._" Itachi began to assemble the puzzle by recalling who Asia Argento was. _"She was a nun who was banished from the church for helping a devil. Then she met a fallen angel and helped them. Now, she is a member of Rias' peerage. What connects them?" _Itachi thought. He tried to piece the puzzle together, but he realized that he is missing something very crucial here. He has no choice but to filter the keywords if he wants to know who this devil is.

"Devil… Nun… Fallen angel… Aura similar to Ajuka-san, yet fundamentally different and…an interest in Asia Argento…." Itachi muttered. Realization then hits him, and he rearranged those keywords into a new phrase. _"What if this devil shown an interest in Asia Argento, because she was a nun? This devil arranged for her to be banished by the church, and let her be picked up by the fallen angel so they could kill her. And then all he needs to do was resurrecting her by using the evil piece, and then she will become a member of his peerage. And this devil possesses a similar aura with Ajuka-san, because…he is of the same family…" _Itachi deduced.

He finally hits the mark. He could not help, but frowning as he realized just who the devil that framed Asia is. His hypothesis all pointed out to one single devil. A devil who is a relative of Ajuka, and also known to possess a peerage which consist of former nuns. Itachi, having dealt with the shady part of the Underworld, knows full well the danger that this devil possess. Aside from secretly being a member of Khaos brigade, he is secretly reputed to have a habit of breaking nuns. So, it is not inconceivable if he tried to obtain Asia and breaks her. He can easily deal with him; however, because of said devil's relation with Ajuka, Itachi does not want to make any reckless move, unless Ajuka himself gives him the permission.

"Diodora Astaroth… I need to keep an eye on him…" Itachi muttered to himself. The dwindling of his chakra caught his attention, and Itachi realizes that he has used far more chakra than he expected. The output of the chakra dwarfed the amount of chakra that he recovered. Itachi could only blame himself for this. He did something that only sensor type shinobi should be able to do. Even though he succeeded, but because he was not born with a chakra of a sensor type, the chakra output was greater.

"_I better focus on recovering my chakra now…" _Itachi thought with a frown. He noted that by now, Ravel must have obtained those tools, and this leaves him with only little times to recover his chakra. He increases his effort in recovering his chakra, but something happens to Itachi without him himself realizing it.

Due to his heightened chakra senses, his chakra balance suffered a significant change, which in effect caused his body to take energies from his surroundings. Itachi noted that the recovery rate of his chakra seems to increase, not that he is going to complaint about that, but he just couldn't help but think how strange it was. He could feel the strain from pushing himself to be a sensor slowly disappearing. His stamina, which was almost reduced to zero during his battle with Baphomet one day ago also quickly being replenished. However, soon Itachi will experience the full extent of what is happening to his chakra, and realizes its true nature.

Despite his eyes being closed, Itachi could 'see'everything, even one which is very far away. If it was any other person who is experiencing this, his eyes would definitely snap open and be surprised. However, Itachi calmly analyze this phenomenon without even a twitch on his closed eyes while at the same time continues recovering his chakra. Besides, by closing his eyes, he could clearly 'see' the images, while keeping his concentration at its peak.

Itachi 'sees' clear images of his friends. Sona's speaking with Sairorg in the ballroom, with the expressions on their faces a contrast of the party's merry mood. Then, Serafall interrupts their conversations by cuddling Sona, which sent her into a fit of embarrassment, while every devil there simply laughs. The images then show what is currently happening with Rias' peerage. Akeno, unsurprisingly is trying to calm Issei down and stop him from doing something reckless. And while Asia, Koneko and Yuuto simply sitting on the sofa, Itachi could see that they are also restless and in Koneko's case, even if she tried her best to hide it under that mask of indifference, Itachi can clearly see her sorrow.

The images then shifts to Gremory's chamber. Itachi really, really, REALLY doesn't want to see this. Sirzechs, being beaten by Grayfia. Brutally. He sweat dropped as he saw how Sirzechs desperately ask for Grayfia's forgiveness, but she simply cracks her knuckles. Itachi doesn't know what could possibly cause the cool-headed Grayfia to snap like this, not to mention she is still in her maid mode. Then he finally understood why, as a piece of paper on the floor caught his attention.

It was a photo.

A photo of a younger Grayfia, sleeping peacefully while hugging a cat plushie.

And complete with a smile and a drool.

Truly an image that would send anyone who saw it to the deepest pit of frozen hell. Such is the dreaded fact that the picture has.

Itachi does not know how to react to this. He sympathized with Sirzechs' condition, but on the other hand, Sirzechs brought this upon himself. He is very sure that Sirzechs was the one who took that picture, secretly, and Grayfia accidentally discovered it, which of course, enraged her. He silently observed how Grayfia continue to deliver blows after blows to Sirzechs' face, while at the same time, _lecturing _him, coldly. Itachi swore to himself at that moment. That Grayfia shall never know that he has seen that photo, that she will never hear a word about that photo coming from him, and that he will erase _any _evidence about this, including his own memories, that might led Grayfia to find out that he has seen that photo. Grayfia slowly advanced towards Sirzechs, but Itachi was spared the brutality, when the images shift to a certain room.

It was Rias' room.

And inside it, Itachi can see Rias, trying to act tough.

He can see that she is trying her best to be her usual self, but he knows better. She is suffering.

She begun to mutter something, but before Itachi could read her what she is saying, the images shift once more.

What he saw this time greatly astonished even someone of his caliber. These images were not something that can be commonly seen. In fact, the only time he saw this kind of images was when he stared into the mirror of Ahura Mazda.

These were the images of the world.

He sees babies being delivered into the world. He sees birds laying their eggs. He sees trees sprouting from the ground. He sees the wind carries flower seeds across the country. He sees ants carrying foods on their backs. He sees rains falling into the red lands, which in turn sustained the fragile lives that could barely survive in that place. He sees a man weeping after killing his lover. He sees parents smiling tearfully after their children were saved. He sees angels, fallen angels and devils doing the same kind of activities. He sees Dragons doing things that they love. He sees Great Red swimming inside the dimensional gap, while humming loudly. He sees a young girl with a long black hair, pointed ears, and dressed in a black Gothic Lolita sitting emotionlessly on a throne. He sees a man with dark silver hair conversed with her, and in turn snakes came out from her body. He continues to see variety of people, and though this seems very similar to the images shown by the mirror of Ahura Mazda, Itachi knows that it is actually very different.

In the case of the mirror, Itachi saw the images like he was there. Like he was directly by their sides. In this case, the images were presented to him like a slide, and Itachi suspected that it was the nature itself that shown him these images. Another difference is that, unlike with the mirror, as his concentration intensified, he could feel the emotions of all living beings steadily flowing into him. Grief, joy, anger, rage, lust, serenity, happiness, envy, fear, hatred, compassion, loves, kindness, and so on. Those emotions continue to flow into him, but Itachi simply accepts them for he knew many of those emotions are also present inside him. Those are what define living beings.

Of course it wasn't as easy as it sound. To accept the 'feelings' of others into oneself is to see things from their eyes, which means risking one's individuality. For most people, it would lead them to a mental breakdown if the mind and soul could not cope with it, due to the sheer burden . However, to Itachi who possesses a very open mind and exceptional control of his emotions, he calmly let those emotions poured itself into him, until it quickly disappeared.

While all of those were happening to him, Itachi didn't realize the changes in his appearance.

Circle markings slowly formed on his hands and forehead.

As the markings became more visible, it gained a golden colour.

The areas under his eyes also gained a golden pigmentation.

These changes further increased his 'awareness', and in turn, this made him sees what lies beyond the world.

"_What is this?" _Itachi thought as all the images suddenly disappeared. He couldn't even sense the emotions any longer. Instead, what he sees is simply pure white. _"What is this place? Where is it located?" _Itachi asked himself with a frown.

He is very concerned about this place, because among those images he saw, they all shared one thing. They're all feel natural, even the man-made constructs. However, not this place. This place, if he tried to describe it, then he could only describe it as being very _wrong. _He cannot explain it. It just feels wrong that a place such like this exist. His mind constantly denied that this place even exists, and it should not be possible for him to see it.

Itachi, sensing the wrongness of this place, tried to pull himself out of this image. But instead, he could feel something pulling him into the image.

"_I can't stop it!" _Itachi grimly thought. He feels this sensation of being pulled to be very familiar. Immediately, he remembered where and when he had experienced this sensation. It is exactly the same with the sensation of when his soul leaving his body. Before he could turn around to confirm his suspicion, he was pulled deeper very quickly, and he is forced to close his 'mind' eyes as a reaction to the blinding light, which even illuminates all the white around him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx

**[?]**

Itachi opens his eyes, and blinks it a few times in order to adjust his sight to the light. As his sight became clearer, he observed that he seems to be in a similar place as before. His soul has somehow been pulled into the image, as he could not feel any physical sensation. He looks around, but then he noticed a massive tree of light far from his current spot. He quickly walks there (he doesn't even want to think how it is possible he has legs when he is just a soul), and he narrowed his eyes as he sees how ridiculously huge this tree actually is.

"_This tree… Just what is this?" _Itachi curiously thought. He looks down, but he could not see its root, as the bottom seems to be endlessly deep. He looks back at the tree, but something on the end of the tree's branches caught his eyes. _"That thing is…"_

He walks closer, and when he get full views of what are attached to the tree branches, his eyes went wide.

These are 'worlds'.

And one of them is the same 'world' where he lives right now.

He looks at the other 'worlds', but then he noticed how terrifyingly similar those worlds are to the one where he lives.

His friends are there in those worlds. His foes are there in those worlds. Yet, what set those worlds apart from his are the fact that he wasn't there, and how those worlds have different settings. In one of the world, Rias and the others are enemies of the devils. In another, the war between the three great factions hasn't ceased. And in another one, the angels have exterminated the dragons, devils and the fallen angels, and have put every other being in submission. There are many more 'worlds' that have similar and different settings than the one he was currently in. But then suddenly his attention is diverted as he could feel _something_ is curiously observing him. His instinct did not warn him. Not because it failed him, but because it doesn't know. His mind cannot comprehend what this _being _is, beside the fact that it feels even more _wrong _than this place. He decided to confront this being, but before he could turn around, it began to speak.

"Oh? I'm surprised that you managed to reach this place, even though your soul hasn't completely fused with 'him' yet." Even though it said it was surprised, Itachi could not perceive it as anything else other than a compliment. "Hmm? Oops, seems like I was wrong. You haven't even begun to assimilate each other's essence yet. How interesting." said the being in a way that seemed to indicate that it was pleased for being wrong.

Itachi starts to think that his mind has begun to deteriorate as a result of his earlier ordeal. He cannot understand, just how it is possible for something to speak, yet there was not a single sound in its voice. What's even more incomprehensible is the fact he could _hear _its voice.

"_Could it be…? This being used telepathy?" _Itachi thought.

"Don't try to fool yourself. You've clearly realized that I simply spoke with my mouth instead of using petty trick like that." said the being. "Anyway, I'm impressed. You really are living up to your reputation. I was thinking that you could only arrive here once you fused with 'him', and stand on the same height as me, but well, that wasn't the case, wasn't it?" complimented the being. "Oh, by the way, I took the liberty of opening a 'window' to your mind, since you are clearly cannot speak right now." Itachi's eyes widen, but he was so occupied with what it said, so much that he has no time to be surprised.

"_Stand on the same height?" _Itachi tested. Itachi could feel the being smiled upon his question, however, even the idea of this being smiling is truly disturbing him.

"Yep! The same height, the same position." the being jovially said.

"_Are you…by any chance…the entity that 'he' called 'the one who stands above the system'?"_ Itachi asked. _"The one who pulled me into that world?"_

"Yeah. So?"

"_Why?"_

"Why not?" answered the being as it began to inspect Itachi.

"…_.."_

"If you want to know the truth, don't ask for it, obtain it. Besides, I'm too lazy explaining the same thing twice." the being lazily explained. Itachi noticed that the being really does not want to say anything further about that matter. So, he decided to just ask the question that has been plaguing him, since he received that revelation a year ago.

"…_..What does it means by 'standing above the system'? No, before that, what is the 'system'?" _

"Honestly, I'm truly surprised." the being said while ignoring Itachi's question. "The chance of an existence from inside the 'system' to come here is only 1/10000000000000. Unless, there is something that…. Ah… I see…." the being trailed off as it continues to inspect Itachi. "You fought Ahriman….didn't you?" the being asked in a way that somehow resembled that of a child.

"_Ahriman…?"_

"Goat-like god. Using a hammer."

"…_Baphomet-san?"_

"Oh? He goes by the name Baphomet now?" the being curiously asked. "Yes. Yes. Your battle with Baphomet has awakened – no, it is more accurate to say upgraded, several factors in your body. The 'spiritual flame' that your eye possesses now is simply one of the results of said upgrade."

"…_.Upgrade?"_

"Surely you've noticed it by now. Your body is absorbing energy from nature. You saw what it did to you. Be careful though, someone does not like having 'his' privacy being invaded." the being casually warned.

"_So it truly is 'that'…" _Itachi passively muttered. He has his suspicion when those images came to him, and this being's words confirmed it.

"Time for you to go back. If you stay here any longer, you will be sucked into the flow of beginning and the end." explained the being. Itachi could feel a very distant pain. It's like he is in pain, yet at the same time he is not. "See? 'He' is thrashing your body around, because you're suddenly disappeared. If it continues to be like that, well, it will cripple you." Itachi can feel the sensation of being pulled by a very strong force, but before he let it carries him back, he needs to find out something.

"_Wait! Who are you? What are you trying to accomplish?!"_

"Is my name really that important? And as for your second one, I've told you, try obtained the answer yourself, don't ask for it." said the being in a way that seems to indicate that it was slightly disappointed with Itachi. "But if you really want to know, well, overall it's just for my enjoyment. I don't want the show to be over so quickly, or have a very boring plot like it was originally supposed to be."

Itachi narrowed his eyes as he heard that, and he turns around despite his mind telling him not to. Then he understand, why his mind keeps telling him that he must not turn around, for his mind is unable to comprehend what he is seeing.

There is nothing there.

Nothing at all. No white, no light. No black, no darkness.

Just….nothing.

"Oh yes, I forgot to mention." The voice came from the nothingness in front of him, so clear like it was said directly into his ears. "Unless you became something that is higher than the world, then there's no way that tiny mind of yours can comprehend my true nature. Even if you awaken your Rinnegan, it'll still be useless." explained the being enigmatically.

"_What did you say? Rinnegan?" _Itachi asked. However, instead of answering his question, the being ignored it like it was something that Itachi should have known all along.

"That's why, quickly merged your soul with 'him', and advances into something that is very interesting. Something that is not bound to the world. Something that will make my boredom disappeared. Even if everything is destroyed in the process." said the being with anticipation visible in its tone. Itachi calmly stares at it, and the he gives it a warning.

"_I won't let you do as you please…." _Itachi began. _"I will not become what you want me to be, and I will find a way to stop you." _warned Itachi.

"I'm looking forward to it." the being said, amused at such prospect. "Although, the one that you need to worry about is not me, but another being entirely…since he was the one who asked me to pull out a person who possesses a sharingan from the pure world." the being explained. "Well, I'm not complaining since it's a good way to reduce my boredom." the being casually remarked.

"_Te…"_ Before Itachi could even say a word, the being interrupted him.

"And that is your homework from me. Find out about the one who want to use your eyes by yourself. If you managed to accomplish that, I'll tell you my name the next time we meet." said the being. "Oh yeah, give my regard to kanwhiOnffijnMendiaElvesdnGi jdnifArifn, will you?" requested the being. Itachi narrowed his eyes when he heard the being's voice distorted like that, but then he could feel that _something _is happening, yet he could not describe it even if he tried really hard.

"Don't bother. I'm simply manifesting my hand to give you a small 'push', but even that simple action is incomprehensible in your current level." explained the being. "Till we meet again. Konoha's Uchiha Itachi." said the being. Itachi could feel _something _is getting closer to his forehead, and then...

POKE

The next moment, Itachi was blasted out from that place. Even so, he managed to catch a glimpse of what that place truly is. However, he would not be able to remember anything that were related to that place. From his accidental arrival in that place, to his conversations with the being that manipulated the strings of everything simply for the sake of its entertainment.

….

…..

….

"And there he goes~. A pity he won't remember anything. Well, if he does remember, his brain would explode, splat~ splat~, heheheh~." sang the being. "Now then, maybe I should nurture that Root over there. Who knows? Perhaps there is going to be something interesting that could temporarily excite me after all." the being casually said. "But still, they really are blowing up my expectations. Truly interesting." commented the being to itself in a tone that indicated that it was intrigued.

"Maybe I should send someone over there and create a situation that could force them to merge." said the being casually. "I wonder which one he would choose. The power to save…or freedom of individuality….." muttered the being to itself, while watching humans of another world fighting in a war against giant aliens using giant mechas.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Gremory castle – garden] **

Itachi's eyes snapped open the moment he regained his consciousness – or rather, the moment his soul returned to his body. He then looks at his surroundings with confusion, mainly because he felt like he has just fallen asleep, and partially because there are bloods all around him.

….

…..

…

"What just happened?" Itachi asked while raising his eyebrow in curiosity. He asked that question more to himself rather than to the one inside him, but it decided to respond anyway.

…**..**

"What do you mean 'welcome back'?" Itachi asked.

…

"I…was gone?" Itachi asked, unsure that he was hearing that correctly.

…**..**

"My soul left my body?"

…

"How long my soul left my body?" Itachi asked as his eyes slowly narrowed.

…

"Ten….seconds?" Itachi hesitantly repeated. For some reason, Itachi could not help, but feel that there is something missing here. He believes that he fell unconscious far longer than a mere ten seconds, yet as he checks the clock, not even a minute has passed. Itachi, unsure of what just occurred, tried his best to remember those ten seconds. However, somewhere deep inside his heart, his subconsciousness is screaming at him not to remember anything. Itachi starts to feel unease the moment he tried to recall his memories. In fact, his body is trembling, not because of fear, but because his body won't allow him to remember.

"…...What's going on with my body…." muttered Itachi with a small sigh.

…**.**

"I'm not sure why I'm trembling, but it feels like I must not remember what happened during those ten seconds…."

…

"Hm…" Itachi contemplates about what it's recommended, and then he let out a small sigh. "You're right. No point forcing myself to remember. But then, may I ask you something?" Itachi asked, while his trembling had stopped the moment he ceased trying to recall those memories. It could feel Itachi's aura becoming colder, and it feels like if it doesn't reply to him, Itachi would do something that will make it regret for not replying.

…**.**

"What's with all these bloods?" Itachi asked as his eyes shifted into his sharingan.

…..

….

…

…

No answer. It remained silent. Itachi massaged his temple due to its unresponsiveness, and then he decided to repeat the question once more.

"I asked you, what's with all these bloods?" Itachi calmly asked once more. Despite his calmness, his eyes have changed into his Mangekyo sharingan, and this clearly shows his current mood. "If you don't give me an answer, I'll lock you up." Itachi coldly threatened with a matter of fact tone.

…**.**

"I see… So you've been thrashing my body around, did you? Why?" Itachi asked, though it sounded more like a threat to it.

…

"Foreign energy entered my body? Golden markings? What are you talking about?" Itachi asked, confused with what it was blabbering.

…

"Is that so? It only lasted for six seconds, yet it's enough to make you went into a rampage? Such childishness….." Itachi stated with a tired sigh.

…**..**

"Even if you ended my injuries, which were caused by none other than you, but the problems are these bloodstains… I have no time to…" His complaint was cut short, because he could sense the presence of a certain young _lady _coming closer. He looks to his right, and as expected, there is a young girl in the distance, waving her scissor on the air. Itachi tiredly dropped his head, and flatly stares at the ground with his sharingan already deactivate.

"Heeey!" came the shouting of a certain Phoenix lady. Itachi massaged his temple, because of the timing in which she came back. He slowly turns his eyes towards her, and sees that she is carrying a hair scissor and a comb. She also looks very bright like she is really looking forward to cut his hair. And if Itachi's eyes did not betray him, he could even see a halo behind her, shining like a sun.

"…What a great timing….." Itachi commented sarcastically.

"What did you say?" Ravel asked suspiciously. In response, Itachi flatly stares at her, and then he let out a small sigh.

"It's nothing…." Itachi replied.

"Hmph! Even though I…wait, what's with all these bloods!? Are these yours?" Ravel loudly asked when she saw the bloods surrounding Itachi.

"Who else do you think?" Itachi asked back while giving Ravel a look that says 'isn't it obvious?'. Ravel clenches her fists once more, and if it wasn't for her concerns of him, she would definitely unleash her fiery fist once more. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to clean it up later, without leaving a single stain." Itachi assured. Ravel, however, grabs his shoulders and shakes him up.

"That's not the problem! Are you alright? Where are you injured?!" Ravel yelled. She tried to take off Itachi's jacket, but before she could do more than that, Itachi stood up and grabbed the back collar of her white dress, and lifted her up. "Hey! What are you doing!? Let me down!" Ravel angrily yelled at him and began waving her arms.

"I believe it is not an appropriate thing to do for a young lady such as yourself to try undressing a grown man like me. Unless, you actually favored this kind of thing…" Itachi teased with a small smirk on his lips. Ravel's arms froze, and she slowly moves her gaze from Itachi's face towards his lower regions. She looks up to his chest area, before her eyes falls back to his face. Heat rise to her face, and slowly her silk-white skins turns beet red.

"N-n-no. It's just… I was…." Ravel began to stutter and steams slowly rising from her head. Itachi amusedly stares at the troubled girl, and then he slowly put her down. "T-thank you…" Ravel whispered with a blush on her face.

"I'm sorry for teasing you… Thank you for your concern, but I'm alright." Itachi said with a grateful look on his usually stoic face. Ravel snaps out of her trance, and turns away to hide her embarrassment.

"H-Hmph! If you want to apologize, you better explained why there is so much blood here! And what do you mean by 'alright'! There's no way you can be alright after losing that much blood!" Ravel accused. She turns around, and starts jabbing Itachi's chest while glaring at him. "Well?!"

Itachi does not want to reveal his secret to her, or to anyone else for that matter. So, Itachi, being the expert in lie that he is, decided to lie to her, while also experimenting on something that has been bothering him since the moment he met these devils. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then he opens it and gives Ravel an intense gazes, which makes her feel very small.

"Ravel-sama. The truth is…" Itachi calmly began. Ravel could feel anticipation building up inside her, and she could feel her hands drenched with sweats. "I have a severe case of blood illness known as 'NO SE B LEED'." Itachi said. _"Now then…let's see whether my suspicion is correct or not." _Itachi thought.

"NO SE B…LEED?" Ravel asked while curiously tilting her head. She never heard an illness with that kind of name before, and she could not help but be worried for him since she knows nothing. "I never heard of that before! Wh-what kind of illness is that?" Ravel asked with a bit of panic in her voice. Itachi closed his eyes, and pretend to be thoughtful. Ravel, on the other hand, worriedly staring at him with her fingers fidgeting restlessly.

"It's no wonder you've never heard of it. It's a very rare illness that most people never encountered before." Itachi explained. _"Because there is no such illness." _Itachi added in his mind. "It is an illness where my blood sporadically spurts out from my nose whenever it gets stimulated." Itachi lied with a very serious face. Now, other people will never believe what he said for two reasons. One, because of its sheer ridiculousness. And two, because it is so damn _obvious_ that he was talking about a _nosebleed. _However, Itachi is an expert in lying, and the way he smoothly said all those lies, combined with his serious face, is more than enough to convince Ravel that he was telling the truth.

"T-t-t-then! That…" Ravel trailed off while shakily pointing at the blood stain on the ground.

"Yes." Itachi answered with a nod. Ravel becomes quiet for a moment, and then she slowly walks towards him. She stopped right in front of him and gently put her right hand on his chest.

"I pity you." Ravel said sympathetically. Itachi stares at her face for a second, and that was more than enough for him to know that she really sympathize with him.

….

…

…..

"_She really bought it…." _Itachi thought while sweat dropping. He has this suspicion about pureblood young devils for a long time. And now this confirms it. Pureblood Young devils are…innocent. Ridiculously so. It's not that they are kind or immature or things like that. It's that the mindset of a young devil is more like a child compared to their appearances. It's not that they are children, but the fact is, their acts were driven fully by their emotions. Even devils like Sona, Sairaorg, and especially Rias, let their emotions moves them. It's not as simple as it sounds, because he knew very well that their emotions controlled the strength of their convictions, and if they're not being careful it might become a double-edged sword.

He has no problem with them following their emotions, but he just hopes that their innocence would not lead them astray like Diodora Astaroth. He is sure, however, that they would never stray from their paths, mostly because they have their peerages with them, and not to mention he has been keeping an eye on them to make sure that they're not going to fall.

Itachi sighs a bit, and decided to end this little play. But, before he could say a word, Ravel suddenly pulled out a small vial (where did she store it, not even Itachi knew) containing a red liquid.

"Here. Drink it." Ravel said while offering the vial to Itachi. Itachi slowly grabs the vial from her hand, and calmly observes it. "It's Phoenix Tear." Ravel said, answering Itachi's curiosity. "I believe that it should be able to cure you from your illness."

"Why did you give it to me?" Itachi asked.

"Mother gave it to me. So it's up to me to do whatever I want to it." Ravel said while puffing her chest. Itachi sweat dropped at her attitude, but as if that was not enough, she gives out a very smug smile. "It's a very rare item that someone like you could never obtain, so you better be grateful to me." Ravel declared with that smug smile still plastered to her face.

"_You haven't answered my question…" _Itachi thought as he continues to sweat drop. He let out a small sighs, and opens his mouth. "Thank you very much, Ravel-sama. May I drink it now?" Itachi politely asked.

"Sure. Go ahead." Ravel instantly replied. Itachi opens the vial and drink the Phoenix Tear. He only feels slightly rejuvenate from drinking the liquid, because he is neither injured nor ill. As he continues to gulp down the liquid, Itachi could feel Ravel gazes on him. She rapidly moves her gazes between him and the ground, while at the same time playing with her fingers. Itachi, unsure of why she seems nervous, stares at her in the eyes right after he finished drinking the Phoenix Tear. He wanted to ask what's in her mind, but Ravel opens her mouth first. "S-so, how is it?" Ravel asked, a bit worry that it might not work. Itachi realized why she seems nervous, but instead of answering her, he decides to toy with her a bit.

"How was what?" Itachi asked, even though he knew what she was talking about.

"The Phoenix Tear you fool! Is your body al… Aaaahh!" Ravel suddenly screamed. She saw the small smile on Itachi's lips, and then she realized that he was teasing her. "Y-you idiot! Even though I was worried about you, you dare make a fool of me!" Ravel angrily yelled.

"Hm? I believe I have no idea what you were talking about." Itachi said while continue to feign ignorance.

"That… That smile of yours! It's exactly similar with Ruval-niisama's whenever he was teasing me!" Ravel accused while pointing at his face. In response, Itachi let out a small chuckle and caused Ravel to tremble in annoyance. "Guuuuu…!" Before Ravel could unleash her rage, Itachi held out his hand in front of her and promptly stopped her from lashing out at him.

"Forgive me. I just found you too adorable that I couldn't help wanting to tease you." Itachi told her. _"Your reactions that is…" _Itachi added in his mind. "And yes, I feel fine." Itachi calmly said with a matter of fact tone. He starts to think that he might possess a hidden sadist side in him, but he really couldn't help it. Ravel's attitude and presence have somehow awakened his brotherly instinct that has remained dormant for a long time. Ravel's face becomes red, and she shakily pounds his chest.

"A-adorable!?" Ravel exclaimed with a very embarrassed face. "Do you realize what you were saying!? I won't fall to your sweet talk, y-y-you pervert!" Ravel yelled as she continues to pound his chest, except this time her fists starts to get engulfed in fire. Itachi sighs while subtly moving his hand to Ravel's head, all the while thinking what could possibly make this girl think of him as a pervert. He does not want his clothes to get reduced to ashes, and so he quickly pushes her head away. "Wha… Hey!"

"If you intend to burn my clothes away, then I will not let you. After all, it is not appropriate for a man to appear naked in front of a lady, especially one of your statures." Itachi explained seriously. Ravel abruptly stops thrashing around, and Itachi loosened his grips on her head. She forcefully released herself from his grip and stepped away from him.

"I-I don't want to see your naked body!" Ravel yelled.

"Exactly what I thought." Itachi instantly replied while lazily staring at her. A cross mark appeared on Ravel's head and she starts glaring fiercely at him. Itachi's intuition told him that things going to get out of control soon, and if he does nothing to quell it, the result would be disastrous. He rubs his face, and decides to divert her attention back to the topic. "Ravel-sama. May I ask you a favor?"

"What!?" Ravel angrily yelled at him. Itachi sweat dropped as he could even see fire surrounding her tiny body, and the heat is so intense that many of the plants withered immediately. He massaged his temple, because he realized that he had cross the line in teasing her. There's no one to be blamed except for himself, but instead of apologizing, Itachi decided to just get straight to the point, or else she might actually explode this time.

"Could you please keep this a secret?" Itachi pleaded while slightly bowing down. Ravel was taken aback, because she never thought that someone that exudes an air of strength and confidence like he is would bow to another person. Before she could say anything, Itachi deemed it necessary to continue. "Please, Ravel-sama. I wish not for my condition to be known to other people. I do not want my friends to be worried." Itachi said as he slowly raises his head, and locked eyes with her. Ravel could sense that he really meant what he said, that he doesn't want his friends to be worried. She rarely saw this kind of loyalty – no, in fact she never saw this kind of loyalty before. All she has ever seen was the kind of loyalty between master and servants, mainly her brother and his peerage. She never had someone asked her to keep his secret so that his friends will not worry about him. And for some reason, she feels envious at their bonds.

Ravel clutches her chest, and then she gives him a nod. Itachi let out a small sigh, and he drops his left index finger. He was prepared to use genjutsu on her to make her forget about all of this if she did not comply, though he disliked the idea of doing it to her who has done nothing wrong to him. However, it seems it wasn't necessary.

"Thank you, Rave…"

"But! On two conditions!" Ravel declared as she pointed at him with two fingers of her right hand. Itachi thinks about this for a second, but then he decided that there's nothing wrong with it, and gives her a nod to continue. "First! You must not do anything excessive that might worsen your condition! Eat healthy foods and make sure you do lots of exercises to balance it." Ravel ordered.

Itachi sweat dropped at what she said and the way she said it. _"What are you? A doctor? No, she is more like a manager…" _Itachi thought while giving her a nod as a sign that he agreed to that term.

"You thought of something very insulting again, didn't you?" Ravel accused, which prompts Itachi to shakes his head slightly. She fumed in annoyance, but decides to drop the matter. She then thought of what she's going to say next, but just thinking about it, makes her really embarrassed. Itachi's passive gazes do nothing to suppress her embarrassment, and in fact it became elevated. She began fidgeting, and pokes her index fingers against each other. But, after a moment of hesitation, she's ready to say it.

"Two!" Ravel shouted with a red face. "Can we be friends?" Ravel muttered with a small voice, but Itachi was able to hear it nevertheless.

….

…

…

"….What?" Itachi didn't expect that kind of request to be the second condition. No, in fact he didn't expect to hear those words coming out from her mouth and be addressed to him.

"A-as I said, can we be friends?" Ravel meekly asked. She waits for a moment, and when she heard nothing from Itachi, she slowly turns her eyes towards him. However, the only thing she could see from him was his unresponsiveness. "Ah, mou! What kind of man making a lady said something very embarrassing twice?! (No response) Hey! Are you even awake?" Ravel yelled at Itachi. Itachi slowly turns his attention to her, and gives her a nod. "Guuu! Just forget about it!"

"No, wait. Ravel-sama. It wasn't my intention to be disrespectful, but may I ask why you want to be friend with me?" Itachi asked.

"W-what? Can't I?"

"No. it's not a problem (Then?), but, I believe that you have a lot of friends already. Am I correct? Think about it, what would they think of you if you suddenly befriend someone like me?" Itachi said, while pointing at himself.

"….I have no friends…." Ravel muttered.

"…." Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly after hearing that, because he could sense loneliness in that voice.

"I've never had someone whom I'm angry at, argued with me, or joked with me like you, well, aside from my family that is. And if you were talking about my Onii-sama's peerage, then they are not my friends, merely servants. Besides, they never tried to befriend me. All they did was trying to please me." Ravel said with her eyes closed, dismissing Itachi's claim that she has a friend.

"Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Some things are not visible to the eyes not because they are far away, but because they are very close." Itachi explained while staring intensely at her. Seeing that Ravel does not seem to understand what he was saying, Itachi let out a small sighs. _"Seems like things that I need to do tonight have increased by one." _Itachi tiredly thought. Ravel, unsure of the meaning behind Itachi's words, carefully asks him for confirmation.

"So, what's your answer?" Itachi could see a face full of expectations on Ravel, and he doesn't feel like breaking that expression apart. He has no need to contemplate about this, for he already knew what his answer going to be.

"It's just as you've said. We've argued, teased, and getting annoyed at each other, well, it was you who got annoyed anyway (Hey!). But…" Itachi trailed off as his lips was slowly forming into a smile. "In a way… I guess those are what make us friends…" Itachi said with a warm smile. A bright smile appeared on Ravel's face immediately.

"Then!" Ravel excitedly shouted and she sees that Itachi slowly extends his right hand.

"Friends?" Itachi asked, while extending his hand for a handshake.

"Friends." Ravel said as she shook his hand.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ravel. Are we really going to do this?"

"Of course. But, this is my first time, so, be gentle, okay?" Ravel shyly pleaded.

"Don't worry. Are you sure you can hold it in your hand?"

"I-it is a bit large for my hand, but, I can do this!"

"I see. Then, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know how to cut someone's hair?" Itachi asked seriously.

Unfortunately, it was not the kind scene that many people were expecting. What they were talking was about Itachi's hair. After the two of them officially became friends, Ravel demanded that Itachi called her without using any honorific, which Itachi complied to. However, somehow the topic shifted back to his hair, and Ravel, who was very excited to try cutting someone's hair, demanded that Itachi complied with her whim, since he is her friend. Itachi sweat dropped at her reasoning that he must sacrificed himself for the sake of her improvements, since he is her friend. Itachi only massaged his temple due to the headache caused by this ordeal. And it was further intensified when he saw the scissor and the _comb. _There was no problem with the scissor, but for the _comb,_ its size was twice the size of Ravel's hand. In fact, it actually looks more like a horse brush instead of a comb. When Itachi asked where she got that _comb,_ she explained that she got it from a Kirin.

Itachi then realized that the _comb _is Enku's, but then he sweat dropped, because that means it really IS a horse brush. Well, it couldn't be helped, since to Enku, a horse brush equals a c_omb._ However, what truly worries him is the fact that Ravel seems very _amateurish _in holding a scissor, and she evens asked him to give her his opinion, but in a very gentle way. She forced him to sit down on a chair, which lead to the conversation on the top.

"I've seen how it's done." Ravel answered as simple as that.

"…" That confirms it. The feeling of impending doom that he felt earlier was for this moment. His intuition tells him that a disaster might happen soon, and that he has no way to escape it.

"Oh, and Okaa-sama always did my hair for me. So, I know the movements. But, as for practical goes…you are my first…" Ravel muttered with a red face. She starts to untie Itachi's ponytail, and begun to brush it. She noted that he possesses a very silky hair and this makes her regret that she has to cut such a fine hair (not that she has to, actually). She was brought out of her stupor when Itachi starts to mutter something.

"So… Basically…I'm your guinea pig…" Itachi muttered darkly with a very low voice, but Ravel easily heard it.

"Hey! That's not a nice thing to say to your friend!" Ravel complained.

"….Of course…" Itachi flatly muttered.

"Kuh! What's with that attitude?! Don't you trust my capabilities?" Ravel yelled.

"Unfortunately, I don't." Itachi instantly answered with a matter of fact tone. It is understandable, since he could only feel a bad feeling on this.

"Guguuuu~! Fine! I'll make it so that you can't complaint anymore!" Ravel declared. Before Itachi could say anything, Ravel already began cutting his hair.

"_I guess… I could only hope that she won't mess up too badly."_ Itachi thought as he gave up the idea of resisting.

Miraculously, nothing went wrong. Ravel skillfully cuts Itachi's long hair without making a single mistake. She balanced the left and right bangs equally, and as front bangs, she made it a bit more unkempt. It took her 20 minutes to finish her first experience as a barber, and when she finished, she took out a mirror and let Itachi see the final result. Itachi's mouth hanged open the moment he saw his own reflection, and after he could regain his bearing, he closed his eyes before giving his opinion.

"It's good…" Itachi began as he slowly opened his eyes, and stared at Ravel. "It's….very good…" Itachi complimented. That was the only thing he could say, since it really is very good. His hairstyle is very similar to the one he had when he was just four, albeit a bit longer on the sides.

"HE-HEM! It's only natural." Ravel proudly declared while puffing her chest and a smug smile decorates her face. "Don't you have something to say to me?" Ravel playfully asked.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong." Itachi apologized with a bow. However, Ravel is not satisfied with his apologies.

"That's not enough. You should fully addressed your mistakes, and swear that you would never doubt me ever again." Ravel smugly ordered. Now, if it was another person who is in Itachi's shoes, they would definitely snap already. However, Itachi, realizing that he indeed made a mistake, decides to comply with her wish and gives her the apologies that she wanted. In a very dramatic way that will surely embarrassed her.

Suddenly, Itachi kneeled in front of Ravel, and took her right hand. Ravel was taken aback by such action, but Itachi won't let her regain her bearing.

"Ravel." Itachi began while intensely staring at her in the eyes.

"Y-yes?"

"I realized not about your talents, and as such I was doubtful of it. However, now I know that I was wrong and shall never again I doubt your talent. However, my foolishness has angered a fine young lady such as you to this extent. I know not how to beg for your forgiveness except through this." Itachi dramatically said as he brings his lips closer to her hand.

"W-wait! What are you…?!" That was the only thing she could say, before Itachi's lips meet her hand. "Awawawawawa…." Ravel began to stutter while blushing furiously. Her blush was such that it could even melt Arctic's ice. Itachi, knowing that he has accomplished his act perfectly, slowly stood up and proceed to deliver the final bomb.

"Will you forgive me, Ravel?" Itachi asked with a warm smile that intensified her blush.

"S-s-s-s-sure…" Ravel's mind was already like a bowl of hotpot, and she could not register what's going on next. Itachi waved his hand in front of her, and even flicking his fingers to make sure that she was responsive. He sweat dropped when he noticed that she has lost all trains of thought.

"Seems like I went overboard, huh?" Itachi asked to himself while making a mental note to never do something like that ever again. Those words were enough, however, to bring her out of her current condition.

"Went overboard?" Ravel asked while trembling, and slowly a black shadow appeared behind her. Itachi, sensing the danger in front of him, could only say one thing.

"….I'm sorry…." Itachi passively said.

"THAT'S NOT HOW YOU APOLOGIZED TO SOMEONE!" Ravel yelled loudly, so loud that it's a wonder no one else heard it. "Y-You, BAKA!" Ravel bolted out of the garden after shouting that, albeit with her face still flushed from embarrassment.

"…." Itachi flatly stares at the running figure of Ravel, and he let out a tired sighs after she's gone. Unknown to him, however, he had sparked an unforeseen trouble that will surely cause him another headaches in the future. He rubs his face, and takes a look at the time. "17 minutes left…" Itachi muttered. He then feels a slight tug on his chest, but it couldn't say anything because Itachi will not let it. "Not a word." Itachi passively said.

…

"If you say even a single word about this, I'll lock you up. Understand?" Itachi threatened with a very cold gaze.

…**.**

"Good…." And with that, Itachi could feel that it has entered its slumber.

He feels very tired from dealing with Ravel, even though the climax has yet to come. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then he pulled out the invitation letter that Grayfia gave to him, and read it once more to make sure that he didn't make a mistake. However, reading this letter brought a severe headache to his head; for some of its content is extremely ridiculous in his opinion. Not really surprising since one of the writers was none other than Sirzechs. The content is as followed:

**TO ITACHI-KUN.**

**Ya~h, Itachi-kun. It's been a while, hasn't it? It is I, your dear Onii-san, Sirzechs Lucifer.**

**I believe you already knew about Ria-tan's engagement. But, you see, I don't want to have someone like Raizer Phenex as brother-in-law.**

**I mean, I don't want my adorable Ria-tan to get married to some random flamboyant womanizer. **

**It's s given that a princess should marry a hero, right? Fuhahahahaha~.**

Itachi couldn't stop sweat dropping whenever he read those lines. He sense that there's something off with what's written there, and not to mention, if what he wrote was any indication, then it can be interpreted that Sirzechs is fine with Rias marrying a womanizer as long as it's not some random guy. Unknown to him, Sirzechs already has someone in mind to fill the position of his brother-in-law. He then continues to read the letter.

**So, in accordance to mine and Ria-tan's selfish wish, I've devised a plan that could cancel her engagement.**

**But, you see, you are central to this plan.**

**I mean, it will hold no meaning if you were not the one who do this. **

**So, being the benevolent Onii-san that I am, I ma-**

The sentence got cut, but Itachi already knew why.

**Forgive him, Itachi. He was so excited of meeting you again, that he seems to forget the purpose of this letter.**

**As you suspected, I am Grayfia, and I'll take over from here.**

**The plan is for you to break the engagement right after the party starts.**

**I'm certain that you already have an idea why, but I will say it anyway. **

**If you do anything to Rias or Raizer Phenex before the party's start, you will be labeled as criminal.**

**Even if your intention was pure, but doing something as illegal like attacking or kidnapping a member of noble clan will earned you a spot on the top of the blacklist.**

**And this is where our plan comes in.**

**If, instead you break her engagement through official battle, and witnessed by official audiences, then no one would be able to complaint.**

**Even Raizer Phenex would not be able to refuse the battle knowing that he is in a presence of noble devils and in his own party.**

**I realized that this might not fit with your style, but do not worry. We'll assist you later. First, we need to remove the complication. **

**Because you're a human, you can't participate in the rating game.**

**But, that's why we have prepared a contract for you. You will be contracted to Sirzechs. **

Itachi pulls out a small card that came with the letter, and Sirzechs symbol is engraved on it.

**By contracting yourself to a Satan, you'll receive a privilege to challenge or participate in a rating game. **

**Of course, the gravity of this matter is not small at all, since you will be counted as a member of the proud Lucifer's peerage. **

**This means, you will carry a very heavy burden if you decided to contract yourself with Sirzechs.**

**Although, I'm sure you will choose to make a contract with him anyway. **

**We apologized for entrusting you with this task, Itachi. But, there's only so much that we can do.**

Itachi sighs at what Grayfia wrote, since she has no idea what kind of tasks he had before, which were far more demanding than this.

**Itachi-kun~. It's your dear Onii-san again~.**

**Grayfia thrashed me around earlier, but it seems she has explained it to you. So, I'm going to cut the chase.**

**Itachi-kun.**

**I'm entrusting Rias to you. **

**FIN.**

**P.S. I'll bring someone special with me~. Look forward to it. **

**Your Onii-san.**

**Sirzechs Lucifer.**

Itachi stares at the letter for a moment, before he let out an audible sigh. He stored the letter away, and put the card with Sirzechs symbol on the table. Then, he bites his thumb and let his blood drop onto the contract card. The card slowly glowed crimson and then suddenly crimson light shot out from the center of the card and heading towards Itachi's right hand. The next moment, on Itachi's right hand appeared the same symbol with the one on the card. He stares at his right hand, or rather, the contract symbol on his right hand, and made a mental note to buy a glove so that he could conceal the symbol, since it is very visible for all to see. He then looks at his watch once more, and noted that there's only 10 minutes left.

"It's time." Itachi said as he quickly walks out from the garden and heading to the ballroom.

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**[Gremory castle – Ballroom]**

As many had predicted, the ballroom of the castle is completely packed with devils from the 72 clans. Most of the devils are either busy chattering with each other, or feasting upon the glorious foods and wines that were prepared on the tables. However, some of them are not in the mood for celebration, mainly because they couldn't agree with Rias' engagement. They are none other than Rias' peerage, Sona, and Sairaorg. All the chatters stopped, however, the moment the door suddenly slammed open. And from it came….

"Hah…hah…hah…"

Ravel Phenex who looks very flustered.

"Ah, Ojou-sama. Where have you be…" The woman with a long purple hair could not finish her question, because Ravel suddenly stands in front of her.

"Yubelluna! What should I do when a man kissed my hand?" Ravel confusedly yelled while shaking Yubelluna.

"OOOOOOHHHHH!" All the devils, with the exception of Sona and Rias' peerage, shouted at the same time

"What? What? Kiss your hand? Nyaha! Ravel-sama! Did someone proposed to you?" A cat girl with a reddish-brown hair excitedly asked.

"Hush! Ni! You shouldn't openly ask that." scolded another cat girl with a similar look to Ni, albeit her hair is buish-green.

"But Li…"

"Be quiet you two. You will embarrass our master if you two don't cease your bickering." stated a girl with a brown hair.

"Sorry, Karlamine…" muttered the two cat girls.

"Oh? Today seems to be a great day. Not only master is having his party, but even Ravel-sama got her own proposal." said a girl wearing a Chinese dress.

"Should we celebrate it too?" asked a woman with a mask on the left side of her face.

"It's not like that!" Ravel furiously yelled. "H-he said he is my friend, but then he kissed my hand… Ahh! I don't know what to do!" Ravel shouted as frustration boiling inside her.

"Ojou-sama, you said he is your friend?" Yubelluna asked, which prompts Ravel to nod. "Then could it be that he was just teasing you?"

"AH." Ravel suddenly remembered how Itachi has always teased her, since the moment they met. And then realization hits her, and this time she is boiling with anger. "He… I'll burn him to crisp the next time we meet." Ravel swore to herself while giving out a very intimidating aura.

"Ojou-sama. May we know the name of your friend?" Yubelluna asked in an attempt to pacify Ravel's anger.

"Yeah! I want to know the name of Ravel-sama's boyfriend!" said a young girl with a green hair, and her twin is nodding in agreement.

"He…he is not my boyfriend!" Ravel furiously denied.

"But, it's certain that he was able to damage Ravel-sama's mind to this extent. What a fearsome man." stated a black-haired, kimono-wearing girl.

"So, what is his name?" Karlamine interjected before Ravel could complaint again. She felt that if she didn't do that, the conversation would go nowhere.

"His name…." Ravel suddenly trailed off. She just remembered that she forgot to do the first and foremost basic in developing a relationship, and this caused her to sweat profusely. "His name… I…."

"I….?" All the girls repeated simultaneously.

"I forgot to ask his name…." Ravel said as she slowly lowered her head.

Yes. The most important thing in a relationship. Make sure you ask that person's name!

….

….

…..

Silent. Raizer's peerage is not the only one who went silent, but also every single devil inside the ballroom. They are not sure how to react to this. On one hand, they wanted to laugh at her unbelievable mistake. But on the other hand, it's just so…sad that she forgot to ask her friend's name. Not to mention, tears starts to gather on the edges of her eyes, and this prompts Raizer's peerage to try their best to soothe her, while the other devils quietly goes back to their previous activities.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I can't believe she forgot to ask her friend's name." Akeno could hear Issei whispered to Yuuto. Akeno giggled after hearing that, but then her eyes went blank the moment she remembered their situation. Asia who has been silent along with Koneko, slowly approached Akeno, and asked her something that has been bothering her.

"Akeno-san. Why are we not doing anything for Buchou-san?" Asia worriedly asked.

"Because, Grayfia-sama told us not to do anything." Akeno explained with a smile on her face.

"But…everyone wants to save Buchou-san. So, why did Grayfia-san…." Asia trailed off with sadness marred her face. Suddenly, Koneko pinched her hand. "Ouch! It hurts, Koneko-chan~." Asia cried painfully, her eyes brimming with tears.

"….Don't worry, Asia-senpai…." Koneko passively said her own way of encouraging someone.

"...Ah… Koneko-chan…." Asia felt like she's going to cry, but then Koneko patted her head, which unfortunately increased her urge to cry. "Hau…."

Akeno simply smile while looking at the interaction between her two juniors, however, her mind actually went to recall what Grayfia told them earlier.

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**~ 3 hours ago ~ [Occult Research club]**

"You are not allowed to do anything." Grayfia sternly ordered to the occult research club.

"But why, Grayfia-san! Buchou is…" Issei could not finish his complaint, because Grayfia's intense glare stop him from saying anymore. He even sweating profusely, because of the pressure that Grayfia emitted.

"You are allowed to attend the celebration; however, you are not allowed to do anything unnecessary that might spark unwanted problems." Grayfia told them once more. Issei only gritted his teeth in annoyance, while Asia quickly went to his side, and starts worrying about him. Meanwhile, Akeno, Koneko, and Yuuto simply stay silent. However, it was all over when Issei starts yelling at them.

"Akeno-san! You couldn't accept this either, right? Kiba! Koneko-chan! You two also, right?!" Issei yelled. They remained silent, however, which further enraged Issei. "Fine! If that's how it is, I'm going to save Buchou myself!" Issei yelled as he prepared to run out from the room, but was immediately stopped by Grayfia.

"I never said that she's not going to be helped." Grayfia said, as she blocked Issei's path. Issei stop on his tracks, and look at her with confusion visible on his face. On the other hand, everyone else's heads perked up after hearing that.

"Grayfia-sama, what do you mean?" Akeno asked.

"Everything has already been taken care of." Grayfia enigmatically explained which incites puzzled expressions on all residents of the room. "If you truly wish to know, then go and see it for yourself." Grayfia said before they could ask for any explanation. She then disappeared into a magic circle, but not before flashing a small smile to Akeno and Koneko.

**[End Flashback]**

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

Akeno was brought out from her musing, when she felt someone pulling her right sleeve. She looks to the right, and noticed the usual expressionless face of Koneko.

"…..Time…." Koneko told her. Akeno averts her eyes to the front, and noticed Raizer Phenex entering the room with Rias following behind him.

"Buchou!"

"Buchou-san!"

Issei and Asia yelled at the same time. Rias turns her eyes towards them, and simply flashes them a smile of resignation.

"_Rias…." _Akeno, Sona, and Sairaorg simultaneously thought. Koneko, on the other hand, is clenching her fists so hard that it's a wonder her fists hasn't broke yet, while Yuuto calmly, yet grimly stares at the scene in front of him.

"Today…" Raizer began with a full blown smirk. "…is a truly wonderful day. Not only today we celebrate the opportunity to gather here and deepened the bonds between our clans.…" Rias closed her eyes and wait for the inevitable. "But, today, is also the day that we will remember as the day when I, Rizer Phenex, and Rias Gremory, are officially betro…."

"Unfortunately, I have to say…. I refuse that arrangement." A sudden voice cut through Raizer's voice like a very sharp knife, despite its volume being lowered than his. Rias eyes shot open, for she recognized that voice, and quickly she looks at the audience.

"Who's that?" Raizer yelled, angry that someone dared to interrupt his speech. Every single devil there begins searching around for the source of the voice, with the exception of some who recognized the owner of that voice.

Sairaorg, the moment he heard that voice, has a feral grin on his face. He has waited for a long time to meet the owner of that voice again, and now, he could barely contain his excitement.

Sona, the moment she heard that voice, has a small smile graces her lips. She closed her eyes, relieved that he has finally returned as she always believed that he will come to save Rias.

Akeno, hearing that voice, finally understood what Grayfia meant. Light returned to her eyes, and she could not help but smiling, with happy tears slowly streaming down from her eyes.

Koneko's head perked up the moment she heard that voice, and replacing that expressionless face of hers, is a very rare longing smile. Her watery eyes, the result of hiding her frustration, changed into one of utter joy.

Ravel, on the other hand, recognized that voice for it's the voice of the man whom she befriended earlier. However, she never expected to hear him rejecting her brother's arrangement.

Lord Gremory and Venelana let out a small relieved sighs upon hearing that voice, which left Lord Phenex curiously wondering whether they knew whose voice was that.

On the other hand, their son has a wide smile on his face while contently sitting on his throne. His wife simply closed her eyes and stands ready by his side, while the Satan wearing a magical girl outfit joyfully shouting his nickname besides them.

The audience continues to look for the owner of the voice, but then suddenly the main door to the ballroom opened, and a man that Rias knew very well slowly stepped in.

"Heh. You sure love to make people waiting!" Sairaorg excitedly shouted.

"Seriously, I thought you have decided to become a hermit." Sona commented with a teasing smile on her face.

"Late…" Koneko said with a smile on her face.

"Ara ara, uhuhu~. You really make us worried that a thousand whippings and a collar seem to be the appropriate punishments for you." Akeno joked lightheartedly, although her eyes were very serious.

"Yahoo~!" Serafall shouted from the balcony seat.

"You…" Ravel muttered as she confirmed that he is indeed her friend.

"Who are you?!" Raizer shouted, but Itachi simply ignored him and continue to walk towards Rias. Suddenly, Rias ran towards him, and stopped right in front of him.

"Where have you been all this time? Don't you know I was very worried about you?" Rias asked with tears falling from her eyes.

"I know…." Itachi calmly replied.

"Don't you know how much I missed you?" Rias asked as genuine smile slowly appeared on her face.

"Sorry..." Itachi apologised with his eyes closed.

"You're late!" Rias told him with her expression clearly showing her happiness.

"Yes…." Itachi agreed as he slowly opened his eyes, and small smile appeared on his lips.

"Itachi…" Rias said his name for all to hear. Itachi put his hand on her head, and began ruffling her hair.

"What?" Ravel could barely contain her shock from hearing his name, because of all people; she didn't expect him to be Uchiha Itachi. She looks at him for confirmation, and Itachi, noticing that Ravel is looking at him, gives her a nod to confirm that he is indeed Uchiha Itachi.

"_So that's…"_ Asia, Issei and Yuto thought simultaneously.

"Ho? So you are 'Itachi'. What do you came here for?" Raizer asked arrogantly. Itachi removed his hand from Rias' head, which caused her to pout childishly, before he stared at Raizer intensely and let him know what he want.

"Raizer-sama." Itachi began.

"What?"

"Let's talk." Itachi said simply. However, Raizer became unnerved, because he could feel something very dangerous coming from Itachi, the same feeling that all of them have, with the exception of all Itachi's acquaintances including Ravel. Before he could say a word, Itachi continues. "It's a simple talk regarding your engagement with Rias…" Itachi said with a very intense gaze.

The audience stares at both Itachi and Raizer, with Rias slowly hugging Itachi, and they all realized that something big is going to happen.

**NEXT CHAPTER!**

**THE DEATH BIRD (CROW) VS IMMORTAL BIRDS (PHOENIXES). **

**LADIES AND… GENTLEMEN!**

…

…**.**

…

…

**AMATERASU?**


	12. Reunion - final part

**All thanks to 'x102reddragon' who has taken it upon himself to check on this chapter. Also thank you for all the reviews, never expected to reach 300 in that chapter. **

**Looks like there's aways one or two who thinks that this story is abandoned when I haven't updated yet. Well, let me say this. Unless I'm dead, I would never abandon my work. Never. I'm a dedicated person who would never leave my art behind. Thank you. Besides, i've told you in previous chapter that I would be busy. Not to mention, I got severe depression and writer's block. **

**Hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO or High school DxD. **

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**Fate is a cruel concept. Fate causes siblings to kill each other. Fate turns friends into enemies. However, Fate also what caused the meeting between people. Fate gives the chance to forge a brand new relationship. This is the story of a person who discards his happiness for peace and gain a chance to find a new happiness in a new world.**

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"Tsukuyomi!" = Normal Talking

"_**Tsukuyomi!"**_Jutsu/Magic/Techniques

"_Tsukuyomi!"_Thought

"**Tsukuyomi!" = **Dragon/Sacred Gear talking

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Chapter 12

**Reunion – Final part (The crow vs. the Phoenixes) **

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Gremory castle – Ballroom]**

Tension lingers on the air.

Sweat slowly dripping down from the many foreheads that are present.

Saliva's swallowed, and breathings became erratic.

Such is the atmosphere inside the Gremory castle ballroom. Each guest could sense the intimidating presence from the man who is the center of their attention, and though none of the dare to admit, their survival instincts are screaming at them not to let their guards down and to run away as soon as possible.

Rias tightened her hug upon Itachi's right arm and stared at his face with eyes full of concern. On the other hand, Itachi, unperturbed by Rias' hug and the soft sensation of her breasts, continues to gaze intensely at Raizer.

"….You want to talk…you say? Heh….heheheheh…." Raizer began to laugh loudly while covering his face, for the man in front of him had said something that was truly amusing. "What makes you think that I have the time to listen to the rumbling of a piece of shit? You better know your place! You…!"

Raizer's mouth abruptly stopped moving and it was hanging open like the mouth of a dead fish. His eyes dilating as he slowly registered the phenomena in front of him.

Every devil in this room has no idea what happened to him, for him to suddenly become frozen like that. Not Sona, not Sairaorg, and not even the two Satans could understand what is wrong with Raizer. Rias, the person who is standing closest to Itachi, confusedly switch looks between Itachi and Raizer. Meanwhile, Ravel has been clutching her chest since Itachi made his introduction, and stares at him with a mixture of anger, anxiousness, happiness, and a slight sadness.

Raizer tried to move, to grit his teeth, to _do_ something. However, his body could not follow his brain's command, for it had been paralyzed by something that he had never experienced before.

Fear.

When he was laughing at Itachi and called him a trash, his eyes took notice of the change in Itachi's eyes. How it changed from black to red with three tomoes on it, which resulted in Itachi's gaze becoming even more intimidating, even though it only lasted for a brief moment. However, that alone was not enough to make him feel fear. No. What truly made him afraid was, the moment he wanted to further insult Itachi, _something _forcefully stopped him.

He was paralyzed by the mere presence of this _something_, and he could not even understand it himself as to why he could not move or what could possibly cause this. He understood the reason, however, soon after he lost all control of his body. He could not see what it is, but he could sense that it is there.

_Something _was coming out from Itachi.

_Something _was angry at him for insulting Itachi.

And that _something _is now 'gripping' him with its 'hand' and putting him under its mercy.

What confused him, however, is the fact that he seems to be the only one who registered its presence. His ears picked up the voices of his fellow devils chatting and murmuring about this situation, and he painfully forced his eyes to look at their direction. Indeed, they don't seem to sense this unnatural presence, and continue to look at him as if they are expecting him to wrap up what he started.

Raizer failed to notice, however, that the actual reason as to why 'It' was angry at him was actually not because he had insulted Itachi. But rather, because he, unknowingly, had insulted 'It'.

'It' does not care if someone made fun of Itachi,_ solely. _

'It' does not even care if someone spat on Itachi, _solely._

However, 'It' will not allow anyone or anything to insult 'It', _to look down_ on 'It'.

The reason why it was enraged at Raizer for his insult, even though it was aimed at Itachi, is because in a sense 'It' _is _Itachi. For the moment, they are one, but at the same time they are not one. Not yet. There are still many 'barriers' that are separating their 'existences', although those too are slowly, but surely, starting to become mixed up. And thus 'It' realized that, sooner or later, 'It' would one day become 'ITACHI'.

For that reason, 'It' protected Itachi.

For that reason, 'It' cooperates with Itachi.

And for that reason, 'It' got angry in his stead.

For the insults that were directed to Itachi means that it were also directed to 'it'.

Cold sweats dripping from Raizer's back. His eyes are starting to roll around unnaturally. His heartbeats increases, so fast that it might cause a heart attack if he was a human.

Itachi continue to stare at Raizer, and all the time Itachi didn't even blink his eyes as he analyzed Raizer's magical energy, and made a comparison with Ravel's. During his analysis, he noticed how Raizer suddenly became 'frozen', although he has no idea what could cause him to enter that state. There were no signs of Raizer having some sort of extreme illness, but if this continues, it would definitely ruin tonight's event. Because, he knew that Raizer will die if someone does not help him out.

He looks around and noticed that none of them realized just how serious Raizer's condition actually is. He looks at the Satans and Grayfia, and even they have a puzzled expression on their faces.

"Itachi? What's wrong? You look restless." Rias asked with a voice full of concern.

"…..It's nothing…" He wanted to say that she should be concerned for Raizer right now, but considering Rias' animosity towards the man; he knew it would be a bad idea to say that. He glanced at Ravel, and her eyes already told Itachi all he needed to know.

She is worried.

Ravel noticed Itachi's glance, and her head is suddenly filled with many different thoughts. So much that it's a wonder her eyes are not spinning. The troubled face of Ravel is definitely capable of inciting the word 'moe' from most men. However, Itachi is not most men, and he only has concern for her trouble. After she regained her composure, the only thing she did would definitely amuse Itachi, if it was any other time than now.

BLEEEH.

She sticked out her tiny tongue.

If the situation is not as serious as this, then Itachi would definitely chuckle. However, he couldn't even afford a smile right now, for he was focusing all of his trains of thoughts into finding out what caused Raizer's sudden abnormal….

…..

…..

…

…...Abnormal….

Itachi's eyes snaps open for a second, and then he quickly closes it. He let his consciousness dive into himself. He let his consciousness dig into himself. Dive, dig, dive, dig, dive, dig. Deeper and deeper, into the 'core' of what made him 'Uchiha Itachi'. He arrived there, and he obtained the answer.

"So, it's you…." Itachi muttered with an extremely small voice. So small that Rias who stands beside him could not even hear what he had just said. "Stop it. Right now."

It was not an order, but an advice. An advice directed not to something that he considered enemy, but to something that he considered a 'comrade'. The next moment, the danger to Raizer's life instantly disappeared, and he regained all control of his body. He checked his throat to make sure that he still has his voice, and for the first time in his life he is grateful to be alive.

Itachi stares at Raizer passively, but inwardly, he is actually smiling. Not because the threat to Raizer's life has gone, but because the necklace that he wears, the necklace that he made from the mirror of Ahura Mazda has just proven its usefulness. It succeeded in concealing 'Its' presence from the general public, although it seems that it couldn't concealed 'It' completely if 'It' was angry, but nevertheless Itachi was still satisfied with the result. Deciding that he must not waste any more time, he opens his mouth.

"Raizer-sama. I want you to listen to what I have to say." Itachi stated while giving Raizer a cold look.

Raizer, seeing the look that Itachi gave him, was considering insulting Itachi once more. But then he remembered that sensation, and the only thing he could say in response is…

"Go on. What do you want to say?" Raizer politely said after he managed to force out that bit of voice. Many young devils had difficulties holding their laughter, for Raizer had just spoken in a way that was very unlike him. In fact, even Ravel and Raizer's peerage was giggling. They could never imagine that the day where Raizer speaks like a true noble would finally come. However, the merry mood was suddenly gone, because of what Itachi said next.

"Abolish your engagement with Rias." Itachi said simply, completely disregarding the implications of what he had said.

…...

…..

….

There was a silent, before suddenly uproar erupted in the ballroom.

"Who the hell does he think he is?!" asked one of the men.

"I can't believe someone would actually say something like that." another man commented.

"Hey. Don't you think that this is getting interesting?" one of the girls excitedly said to her friends.

"Maybe there will be another story like the one between Lucifer-sama and his queen?" replied another girl, excited at the idea that another love story based on real life event would appear.

"KYAAAA~!" all the girls, save for several exceptions, squealed excitedly. So loud to the point that all men, the adults, and the Satans, sweat dropped.

Itachi had cold sweat running down his back after he heard those bits of gossip, while Rias is slowly looking down to hide her blush and smile with delight. To become famous or infamous is the last thing that he wants. No, in fact, he does not want to be well-known at all, especially because of something as ridiculous as having his life turned into a drama play. After all, everything has it downside. Added the fact that he, being a shinobi who protect peace from the shadows, does not like to receive all kinds of excessive and unwanted attention, surely it is right for him to be concerned.

Later on, however, he would find out that, much to his horror, this particular day had been turned into a similar play like the story of Sirzechs and Grayfia albeit much more exaggerated. And that he had gained a 'certain reputation' in the women's community, and had succeeded in garnering the most _unwanted _attention, particularly from the opposite gender. However, this is a story for another day.

Lucky for him that Lord Gremory had decided to intervene and stop this nonsense.

"SILENT!" the voice of the head of Gremory clan boomed through the ballroom. The next second, everything goes completely silent. "Noble devils should have not shown such unbecoming attitude, especially when there is a person who is speaking in front of us." Lord Gremory harshly said while glaring at the crowd, or rather, the young devils. The crowd swallowed their saliva, and some of them nodded their heads as a sign that they got the message. Lord Gremory tiredly sighs and then he exchanged look with Itachi, while Lord Phenex looking at the scene in front of him with amusement.

"Well? Raizer-sama. What do you say? Would you null your engagement with Rias?" Itachi asked.

"Of course not." Raizer answered, giving Itachi a 'not in a million years' look.

Itachi inwardly sighs. He already predicted that this would be the outcome, considering Raizer's personality and the nature of devil's society, but still, there's nothing wrong with trying to settle this _diplomatically. _He casts a glance towards Sirzechs, which he noticed, before returning his attention to Raizer. As if he had some sort of telepathic ability, Sirzechs understood full well the meaning behind Itachi's glance.

'It's your turn'.

With a wide smile decorating his face, the crimson Satan descends from his throne.

Complete with sound effects and background lighting accompanying him.

Truly a breathtaking spectacle worthy of a million praises.

Itachi sweat dropped after seeing just how 'fabulous' Sirzechs entrance was. However, he sweat dropped even more when he saw that no one, except for him, considered just how 'weird' that scene was.

"_Am I actually…the odd one here?" _Itachi asked himself, shuddering at the thought that one day all of these might become 'normal' for him. He then noticed that Issei has a similar expression as him. _"…Guess not…" _Itachi thought, not realizing that he had let out a relieved breath.

Well, considering that he had known the Satans for years, especially one such as Serafall who love to wear a magical girl outfit, he shouldn't be so stressed out when he saw that. Still, there are lots of things that he wants to comment on, from the behaviors of the Satans despite their ages, to their apparent ridiculous hobbies.

Sirzechs slowly walks to where Itachi is. But, because he was very slow, Grayfia secretly _pinched_ his back to urge him to walk faster. Its effect was immediate, for Sirzechs is now walking faster, while holding his tears. Others could not see it because he skillfully hides it, but for Itachi, his trained eyes could see it clearly, Sirzechs' face was screaming 'It hurts!'. Add the way Sirzechs limped forward into the equation; it really reminds him of those zombie movies that he watched with Rias, although the 'zombie' is the victim in this case.

Sirzechs' willpower managed to carry him to Itachi's side, but his 'smile' caused Itachi to sweat drop again and prompt him to give Sirzechs a 'are you alright?' look. Sirzechs 'happily' replied with a 'what do you think?' smile, which further increased Itachi's sweat drop. Grayfia coughed to get their attention back to the topic, but at the same time to divert their minds from what she did.

"Hi there, Raizer-kun, Itachi-kun. Can I interfere for a moment?" Sirzechs asked.

"Sirzechs-sama. May I know what brought you here?" Raizer inquired. "I believe that this is not a matter that someone of your status should be concerned about."

"Oya~. Don't be like that Raizer-kun. I have been thinking about something lately, you know?" Sirzechs replied.

"About what exactly?" Raizer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The truth is…. I've been thinking about how to make this party even more interesting. After all, this _is _my cute little sister party. At the very least, I want it to be extraordinary. And just now, I've got this amazing idea~. Want to know?" Sirzechs asked not only to Raizer, but to the entire devils in the room. The look that they gave was more than enough for Sirzechs to know how curious they are. He then pointed to Raizer before he tells them his idea. "That is, I want to see you fighting against Itachi-kun here~." Sirzechs explained with a smile, his finger already pointed to Itachi.

"!"

Everyone gasped, with the exception of Grayfia, Lord Gremory and Venelana, whom already knew what Sirzechs was planning. Itachi himself raised an eyebrow, but then he decided to just stay silent for the moment.

"You want me to fight this insolent bastard? Who said that he wants me to abolish my engagement with Rias? Heh. What a joke." Raizer muttered the last part of his sentence. "It wouldn't be a healthy fight, Sirzechs-sama. A high-class devil like me fighting against a _stray _devil like him. There's no need to do that since the result is already been decided. It's like comparing a bird with an insect." Raizer said while making a mocking gesture towards Itachi. It seemed that he had forgotten what he went through earlier and did not realize what kind of danger he had put himself into.

Rias' expression instantly went dark, and if it wasn't for Itachi holding her shoulder, then she would have lashed out at the man. Itachi stares at Sona, Akeno, and Koneko, and sees that they too have similar expression. Sona's eyes narrowed and glinting dangerously, so much that it feels like it could surpass a knife in term of sharpness. Akeno's eyes went blank to the point that Itachi himself could feel the danger that those eyes are presenting. As for Koneko, there was no change in her expression, except for the fact that the ground beneath her was cracking.

Itachi himself had been pressing his chest with his right hand. Not because he has a weak heart or sensitive to being insulted, but because he was trying to calm something down, to suppress its urge to annihilate Raizer. Itachi grimaced a bit from the pain that it caused him, but then he turns his gaze towards Sona, Akeno and Koneko. They saw him looking at them, and their bad auras instantly subsided. It was because Itachi had given them a signal with his eyes, something that only they, who had spent years with him, could comprehend.

'Calm down'.

That was the message behind Itachi's gaze. Sona fumed in annoyance, Akeno put a hand on her cheek and went 'ara ara', and Koneko simply pouted. Their reactions are understandable, after all, they got angry for his sake and yet he told them to stay calm.

Itachi turns his attention back to his chest, and after a moment of struggle, he managed to calm it down. However, a sudden laughter catch his and the rest of the devils' attention. Itachi turns his head towards the source of the laughter, and it turns out that the one who was laughing is none other than Sairaorg.

"Sairaorg, what's so funny?" Raizer asked with a scowl.

"Oh, it's nothing really. Just that if you fight this _stray _devil…" Sairaorg began while gesturing at Itachi. "I'm sure you'll be the one who's going to kiss the ground." Sairaorg confidently said.

"Are you suggesting that I would lose to him?" Raizer asked while glaring hatefully at Sairaorg.

"Not suggesting, I'm stating the fact." Sairaorg replied with a smug smile.

"…."

"…."

Both men stared at each other, and everyone can feel the tension increase once more. Itachi pinched his nose for he could feel a big migraine is heading his way. He really has no need for Sairaorg to further complicate things. Fortunately for him, he was spared the trouble of solving this situation when Sirzechs stepped forward.

"Well~. Then let's just find out, shall we?" Sirzechs suggested while acting like what just happened was no big deal. "As I said earlier, I wanted to see the fight between Itachi-kun and Raizer-kun. Besides, I want to see how well my newest 'pawn' is in battle." Sirzechs said. The revelation incites a collective gasps in the ballroom, and they begin to murmur amongst themselves. Ravel, who was worried about Itachi because of his previous status as a stray devil, instantly sighed with relief. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, although there's no way she would admit it.

Everything was a lie, of course. Itachi is not, and could never be, a devil. Something inside him would never allow him to become one due to its selfishness. However, the contract that Sirzechs gave to Itachi, in a way, indeed made him a 'pawn' of Sirzechs. Itachi noticed that the contract was not the usual contract that Sirzechs possesses, but rather a unique one. After all, he knows full-well about devils' contracts, and even the slightest detail on the contract symbol can be spotted by Itachi. Which means, he would know if it was tampered or actually a different one altogether, even if it looks very similar.

When the symbol was engraved onto his right hand, Itachi immediately knew at the time that it was made so that he can be counted as a member of his peerage, by imbuing it with the same concept as Evil Piece. To put it simply, Itachi is now a devil that is not a devil. His status can be considered as a devil, but in actuality, he remains as a human. Of course, such thing was impossible to be done if not for Ajuka, who lend Sirzechs a helping hand in creating that one-of-a-kind contract.

Itachi realized, from the moment he read that letter, that what they are doing right now is actually one of the biggest, if not the biggest, deception in the history of Underworld. He realized that Sirzechs was putting not only his reputation, but also his, Ajuka's, and his family's life, on the line – all for his sake. It seems that Sirzechs does not want Itachi to know about this though, that's why the letter was made in a way that it concealed the fact. It was poorly done in Itachi's opinion, and he, being a person who lived his life in deception, could easily see through the actual content of that letter. If people find out about this, then there is no doubt that the elders would want to strip Sirzechs from his position, and so, Itachi decided to protect this secret with his life. Besides…how could he face them again, if he could not do something as simple as that?

"Sirzechs-sama's pawn? So, you're actually not some stray devil, are you?" Raizer questioned. His vein's bulging when Itachi gave him a look that says 'Are you stupid? The answer was already given to you". "Fine. Sirzechs-sama, I'll take up your offer, but don't expect me to go easy when I've crushed his face." Raizer said.

"Fantastic. Then how about the winner gets a prize?" Sirzechs suggested with a smile. Itachi's eyebrows twitched when he heard that, and then he slowly narrowed his eyes. "That way it wouldn't be for nothing and we…"

"Raizer-sama. I challenge you to a Rating game." Itachi said, interrupting Sirzechs before he could finish implementing his plan.

"Eh?" Surprisingly, the one who let out that voice was not Raizer, but Sirzechs. He was surprised at Itachi's sudden interruption, but more importantly, he was surprised at what he said, the same goes for all of them. "Itachi-kun, what are you…" Sirzechs halted his voice, because Itachi gave him a look that tells him to be quiet. _"What are you planning, Itachi-kun?" _

"Rating game?" Raizer asked to confirm that he heard it right. "You want to fight me in a rati…"

"You said you don't want to abolish your engagement with Rias, right? If so, then I'll take it myself." Itachi said, not giving Raizer a chance to finish his question. "It's not a show like what Sirzech-san wanted to, but an actual fight. With the winner being the one who will decide Rias' future." Itachi explained. The atmosphere darkened and the crowd begun chatting amongst themselves once more.

"What the hell? Is he thinking that this is some sort of competition?" asked one of the men.

"I think Sirzechs-sama didn't educate him enough." another man said, feigning disappointment towards the Satan.

"Perhaps, he was a peasant before Sirzechs-sama picked him up." said a girl, pitying Itachi for what she imagined was his harsh life before Sirzechs took him.

"Or a ruffian." another man lazily commented.

"Kyaa~, it's like those fairy tales where a handsome knight battles a beastly prince for the princess!" Let's ignore this girl, shall we?

"Or maybe, it's going to be a love triangle~!" Let's ignore this one too, shall we?

"Maybe it will end with both of them falling in love with each other~." Okay, we did NOT hear what this rotten girl just said.

"Aaa~hh~." All 'rotten girls' put a hand on their cheeks and began to have a very wild imagination.

"WHO SAID THAT?!" Raizer roared with a voice full of anger. Rias stared at Itachi with a betrayed look on her face, which caused him to sweat drop. However, he soon developed a massive headache on his brain, because Sona, Akeno, and Koneko have the same expression as Rias. Asia, being the innocent girl that she is, has no clue as to what is happening, while Issei, Yuuto and the rest of the men are trying their best not to laugh. Itachi tried to find a way to salvage this situation, and decided to gather the attention to him once more.

"Everyone…." Itachi began softly. "Be quiet." Itachi ordered with a very soft, yet, very, very, cold voice.

….

…

…

Silent. The effect was immediate. No one dares to raise their voice. Even Grayfia got surprised by the coldness in Itachi's voice. And if even Grayfia got surprised, then imagined what the others' reactions are. Some just stood there, frozen like a statue. Some were shaken, because of Itachi's cold presence. But, there is one who had a different reaction than the rest of them.

"As expected of my rival…" Sairaorg muttered while grinning excitedly. Earlier, when he felt Itachi's _intimidation_, his fighter instinct was telling him to be very careful of Itachi, so much that it numbed his danger alarm. He, instead of being wary about this development, was excited and welcomes this sensation, for it would serve to further increase the excitement when the time of their clashes arrive.

Itachi closes his eyes for a brief moment, and let the lingering tension in the air to die down. Slowly, he opens it, and begins addressing all the devils here.

"If…any of you…thought that I was joking, or making a fool of myself…" Itachi began slowly. "Then I shall tell you this. I am serious." Itachi said passively. "The rating game, my request to Raizer-sama, everything." Before any of them could make a comment, Itachi deemed it necessary not to let them. "This has nothing to do with Sirzechs-san, or the fact that I am his 'pawn'. In fact, Sirzechs-san had no idea of my intention, for this is something that I do myself. After all, I'm the one who could not stand all this nonsense." Itachi said, mocking not only Rias' marriage arrangement, but also the Underworld's current society.

"….So what? You're just trying to satisfy your ego?" Raizer said with a mocking smile.

"Half of it. The rest….I'm doing what I should've done long time ago." Itachi said. "That is…giving you a lesson…" Itachi explained with a matter of fact tone. It was aimed not only towards Raizer, but to all young devils in this place. "That all of you are merely…birds inside a cage who knows nothing about the world…" Itachi finished as his gaze intensified.

…

…..

…..

Most of the young devils, except for those who knew Itachi personally and a certain adult who stared at him amusedly, glared at him hatefully. It is understandable; after all, he indeed had just thrown a very great insult to them. However, to those who knew Itachi, they could see that what he said was a lie. They knew that he would never say something that would fan the fire of hatred without having something in mind. At least that's what they believed. However, to a certain glasses-wearing devil, she could see not only his lie, but also his plan.

"_I see… Itachi purposefully insulted them so that they would lose rational thought. By doing that, it's already guaranteed that Raizer will accept challenge. The rating game is most likely to happen now, but like he used to say, maybe it will not happen too. Well, that is if Raizer actually has some backbones to say no to those glares."_ Sona deduced as she looked at the young devils who were glaring at Raizer with eyes that demanded him to beat Itachi down. She then turns her attention back to Itachi, and a small gentle smile appears on her face. _"Still, you've became slyer than before, yet your caring side… It hasn't change at all. I expect no less from my 'partner'." _Sona thought, happy that Itachi seems to be even more intelligent than before, yet still remains the same person.

What she failed to realize however, is the fact that she could deduce Itachi's plan, because Itachi himself said it in such way so that she could find out about his plan – or rather, make her think that she has found out about Itachi's reason for saying such things. She did not realize that she was being subtly manipulated by Itachi to arrive at her earlier conclusion, when the fact is actually completely different. However, it was also a sign that he acknowledge her intellect, and he took this into such a great precaution, so much that his earlier insult was deliberately said in a manner that could deceive Sona.

Itachi maintains his calmness, however, on the inside; he's actually sighing and smiling at the same time. After all, he managed to stop and covered what Sirzech was intending to do from the more observant eyes. By purposefully inciting their anger towards him in the surface, so that he could divert their attentions from what Sirzechs said to what he said. That is, Rating game. However, he knew the consequences of saying such lines are him, having obtained a considerable amount of haters and enemies, becoming a common target amongst the young devils. However, he would gladly accept it, as long as Sirzechs' plan stays in the dark.

It was ironic really; that what the Satan was planning to do is actually very similar to his original plan, before he casted it all away. That is, to make a happy ending for Rias, by taking all the blame on oneself. After all, that was the reason why he deliberately searched for a Boosted Gear host within the confine of Kuoh academy, and set things up so that person would join Rias' peerage.

His plan was for the Boosted Gear wielder, that is Issei, to go and save Rias unconditionally if she lost, and if that failed, he had implemented an order in Issei's mind to save Rias using Mangekyo sharingan. However, the terrifying part of his – no, of the professor's plan was for people to blame Itachi. The plan was made in such a rounded way, yet, even a child would be able to notice the irregularity in Issei's action, and it would eventually come to light that someone manipulated the 'Sekiryuutei'. Itachi understood that by doing so, the blame for breaking Rias' engagement would be directed towards said manipulator, which is him, but it will also let Rias be freed of the society's harsh accusation. Basically, he planned to do what he could do best; sacrificing himself so that the others can be happy.

Itachi understood that Sirzechs plan was having him save Rias, but letting Sirzechs carries the drawback. The drawback was the reputation of Rias and Itachi in the devil's society. If, Sirzechs did not carry the drawback, even if he saved her, he and Rias will potentially obtain a bad reputation, especially on the elders' eyes, as someone who broke the noble tradition for a selfish reason. So, to prevent that, Sirzechs planned to wear that 'selfish' mark himself, by saying that he wanted to see a fight between Itachi and Raizer, and that the winner will get Rias as the prize.

No one could argue if the Satan was the one who said that, but if Itachi won, then the reason for the break-up would shift from a 'selfish reason' to a 'selfish and childish Satan who ignored and destroyed an important part of the culture, because of his whims'. Sirzechs may not care about such label or the whispers that people would do on his back, but to Itachi, he would not let his mentor, caretaker, and most importantly, a friend, to sacrifice himself like that. If someone needs to endure, it can be him. If someone needs to be sacrificed, it should be him.

After all, first and foremost, he _is _a shinobi. Someone who endures. A selfless person who is more than willing to sacrifice his own life if it means that peace can be maintained.

Itachi, seeing the hateful glares that the young devils are sending towards him, decides to give their tempers one last blow.

"Glaring hatefully like that… How unsightly. You should see your current faces on the mirror. After all… All of you look more stray than stray devils."

That was the last straw.

The young devils began yelling at him, cursing his name, and angrily telling him to die and disappear. They even 'urged' Raizer to accept his Rating game, and to put him in his place.

"_Itachi-kun, don't tell me you…"_ Sirzechs grimly thought as realization about what Itachi was planning slowly dawned upon him.

Rias turns her attention towards Itachi, concern visible on her face, but then her expression turns into one of confusion.

Itachi was smiling.

It was small, but there is no doubt that he was smiling.

His smile was not one of anticipations, nor was it delight for the attention given to him.

It's a smile of someone who has managed to accomplish something perfectly, to the point of being flawless, and that everything is going according to plan. That's the kind of impression that his smile gave.

Serafall, who was silent all this time, almost went to Itachi's side to defend him if it's not for a hand on her shoulder that prevented her from dashing. She turns around, planning to scold the person who stopped her, but her face literally becomes a big question mark.

In front of her, Itachi stands.

She turns around, and the question mark on her face becomes bigger, because Itachi is still standing near Rias.

She turns around once more, but the Itachi who stood behind her already disappeared, leaving behind a confused Serafall and a piece of paper. She picks it up, and after reading what's written there, she almost burst out laughing.

'Serafall-san, please don't do anything reckless. I promise I'll show you a grade A sweet shop if you stay still'.

Unfortunately for Itachi, what he wrote will bring a disaster sometime in the future, a disaster for him only though.

"_It's a promise then, It-tan! You'll take me on a date!" _Serafall happily thought with a bright smile on her face while misinterpreting Itachi's promise.

For an unknown reason, Itachi shivered. It feels like he has just made a grave mistake, but on what he has no idea, for the time being that is. He returned his attention to Raizer, and assessed the current situation. His earlier acting has indeed managed to incite rage upon the young devils, but if Raizer does not accept his challenge, it will all for naught. Raizer glared at Itachi with a fierce expression on his face, but then he put a hand on his face and begins to laugh.

"Marvelous. Truly marvelous. All my life, never before I encountered…" Raizer began while slowly putting down his hand. "…Someone as stupid as you!" Raizer shouted, earning nods of agreement from many of the devils there. "I accept your challenge! Let me show you the difference between a pure-blood devil like me, and someone like you!" he roared.

….

…..

….

"…..Heh…" Itachi simply laugh a bit. "Laughable. You honestly think you stand a chance against me alone? Rather than fighting me alone, why don't you fight together with your peerage? That way, at least you'll have a chance against me… Right? WEAKLING!" Itachi shouted at Raizer, his face showing an arrogance that was completely unlike his usual self. It was to the point that, even Rias and the others were completely shocked at seeing the change in Itachi.

"As you wish! You WILL regret this!" Raizer shouted back. "Girls! Prepare yourselves!" Raizer ordered.

Itachi smiled ferociously at Raizer's answer, but in the inside, he was actually calmly contemplating his next move concerning Ravel; after all, he deliberately acted that way to ensure that Ravel would join this fight, for he wanted to show the young Phenex the mistake of her claim. That she is not as friendless as she thought. And what's better way to show it than putting her in danger?

He noticed that he had made more enemies than before from his acting, and now he might lose another friend. Yet, if it proves to be beneficial for her growth, he doesn't mind being hated by Ravel.

"I think you're the one who needs to prepare. I will educate you on why you should never look down on someone, after all." Itachi said as his expression returned to one of calmness. Raizer's anger almost went past the boiling point, and he quickly bolted out from the room. But, not before giving his message to Itachi.

"Outside, in twenty minutes." Raizer said calmly yet there was a hint of anger behind that voice. Itachi stares at Raizer and his peerage exiting the room and his gaze fell upon Ravel, who was staring at him with uncertainty since the moment she saw his acting, but then she dismissed him completely and followed her brother. The rest of the devils, meanwhile, are heading towards the seating platforms, while occasionally sneering at Itachi, or throwing insult his way. But, some of the more tolerant and eccentric devils were either patting his back, or gave him an amused smile while striking a 'do your best' gesture with their hands, which he reluctantly accepted. He shifts his attention back to where Raizer was heading to, and he let out a small sigh.

"_So, despite being enraged…he is still more than able to control his rational thought…for now at least. Who knows what he will do once the battle has started. Still…Ravel seems to hate me now…" _Itachi dryly thought.

He slowly heads towards the door, but then someone pulled his sleeve. He turns around and was met with the face of Rias, who looked like she was going to cry yet angry at the same time.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rias asked.

"Don't ask a question when the answer was already given." Itachi said, earning a cross mark on Rias' head.

"You challenged Raizer to a Rating game. What were you thinking?" Rias asked after she calmed down her nerves.

"Cleaning your mess. Saving your hides. And educating pompous devils?" Itachi answered.

"_Why is the last one a question?" _Rias confusedly thought. "But, your opponent is Raizer! And to make it worse, you even provoked him to fight you with his peerage! You'll die!"

"Then why did you lose?" Itachi asked calmly yet that question sounded very harsh in Rias' ears. "If only you have won, this wouldn't happen."

"That's because…"

"I've heard what happened. " Itachi said, surprising Rias. "And to be honest, I'm a bit disappointed in you. Losing like that…"

"But Raizer…!"

"In battle, there is no such thing as cheating. Do not expect your enemy to follow your rules. You need to prepare for every possible move that the enemy might throw to you. And you failed to win not because he pulled a dirty move on you, but because you didn't prepare for the unexpected." Itachi stated, lecturing Rias on why she lost.

Rias couldn't say anything, and she dejectedly lowers her head. Itachi, thinking that he has been a bit harsh, put his hand on her head and decides to comfort her, but a voice – or rather, voices, from his behind prevents him from doing so.

"Ara ara. Isn't this a very dazzling scene~." said a girl with a sweet-sounding voice.

"You could even spare a time to flirt before a battle. As expected of my…_**'partner'**_." said another girl harshly.

"….Annoying…." another one said flatly.

Those voices sent a chill down Itachi's back and, if his senses did not betray him, he could even feel ice forming on his back and legs. He casts his sight downward, and indeed his legs had been encased in ice, the same for the ground around him. In fact, it's more likely that he is the center of this…icing. However, he has no time for foolery like this.

"Akeno, Sona, Koneko." Itachi called their names.

"Yes?" the girls replied simultaneously.

"Please let me go." he said. "Or I'll break it myself." Itachi finished calmly with his eyes opened, staring at them and giving them a look that says he meant what he said.

"…." The girls looked at each other, and the next moment the ice shattered.

"Thank you." Itachi said while turning around to face them properly.

"Ara ara. It seemed like our plan to keep you alive was a failure." Akeno said while putting a hand on her cheek.

"Maybe we should buy him a coffin instead." Sona stated simply.

"….Grave digging…" Koneko added.

Itachi sweat dropped. "I never thought that all of you have so little faith in me." Itachi said. "Do you really think I'll lose?"

"If it's up against Raizer alone, no, but you've told him to fight with his peerage instead of one-on-one. I couldn't see this as anything but idiotic and suicidal." Sona commented harshly. Itachi simply smiled at her comment, sparking her annoyance. "In case you didn't know. Raizer, despite his attitude, is…"

"I know about him." Itachi said, interrupting Sona's explanation regarding Raizer. "But, it's important that I do this." Itachi finished, leaving no room for argument.

"…." They all fell silent after seeing the urgency on his face. But even so, they couldn't shake off their bad feelings.

"Don't worry. I will win." Itachi said, attempting to reassure them. He sees that they still have doubts and concerns, and tiredly sigh. "Then why didn't any of you stop me earlier?" he questioned. None of them could answer, and so they stay silent. "Was it not because you believe I can win?"

"Yes. But…" Sona's attempt to explain her reasoning was cut off by a man's laughter. Itachi sighed when he heard that laughter, and then he addressed him.

"It's been a while, Sairaorg."

"Same to you." Sairaorg replied. "Oi, Itachi."

"Hm?"

"Are you stronger or weaker now?" Sairaorg asked with a grin.

"…What do you think…?" Itachi asked back, but his eyes gave Sairaorg the answer. Sairaorg's grin widens, so much that it almost threatened to split his face apart.

"Then the match is already decided." he said while turning around. "Oi, let's go. We don't want to make the man of the night late to his match." Sairaorg said to the girls. "Don't worry. He will not lose." he said with a voice full of confident. The girls looked at each other before they proceed to follow Sairaorg albeit hesitantly.

Itachi stares at them lining out with a slight amusement, and he couldn't help comparing them to a duck and its children. With Sairaorg as the mother.

"Itachi…" Rias voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he looks back at her. "…I…."

"…I…?"

"No, it's nothing. Win, okay?" Rias pleaded. Itachi blinks twice, and then he bring his hand upward to give her his reply.

POKE

"Ah! Mou~." Rias whined while covering her forehead, yet, she was smiling and blushing at the same time.

"We'll continue our conversation later. Okay?" Itachi said.

"Yes." Rias answered. Itachi, satisfied with Rias increasing mood, walks towards the door once more, but then his sight fell upon three members of Rias peerage, particularly towards a young man with a red shirt.

"Hyoudo…Issei-kun." Itachi said to Issei, surprising him that Itachi knew about him. He rigidly stands straight after receiving Itachi's intimidating gaze.

"U-um…" Issei, unsure what to say, could only stutter.

"Tell Ddraig to get his act together." Itachi told the younger man.

"What?" Issei became confused at what Itachi was saying. How did the person in front of him know about Ddraig when he himself just barely knows the dragon? However, his question faded away, when he got struck by a déjà vu after seeing the look that Itachi gave him. He feels like he had met the man in front of him before, but he could not recall it. The moment he tried to remember it, it always shifted to a memory where he bumped into a girl on a crossroad.

Bumped into a girl?

No, that wasn't right. Issei knew he never _bumped _into a girl on a crossroad before. Why? Because, there is no way such an amazing thing like that could happen in real life. Besides, it's not like he would forget such a thing anyway, with the opportunity to see the fabled white underwear and the likes. But then, what is this memory? He could feel that it was…his, yet, not his. Like it was artificially created inside his mind. He was brought out of his stupor when Yuuto pats his shoulder.

"Issei-kun, let's go." Yuuto said.

"Ah… U-um." Issei hesitantly nodded.

"Itachi-san seems like a very kind person. I was scared when he was shouting earlier, but he feels very warm." Asia said, earning Issei's confusion.

"When did you talk to him?"

"Just now. We were introducing ourselves to him. But then he said he needs to cut the pleasantries and told us to go with the others." Yuuto explained. "Didn't you hear us talking?"

"N-no." Issei answered, shaking his head slightly.

"Issei-san, are you alright?" Asia asked, her face showing her concern. "If you feel sick, then I could nurse you."

"N-Nurse?!" Issei excitedly shouted. _"Asia in a nurse outfit. Shihihihi~. I want to see Buchou and Akeno-san in one too!" _he perversely thought.

"Issei-san?"

"Y-yeah! Nurse! Shihihi~." And the last thing that Itachi heard from the trio was the sound of laughter of one big pervert, which caused him to sweet drop because of its similarity with the laughter of a certain pervert sage.

"First, Jiraiya-sama, then Azazel-san, and now him. Seems like perverts are everywhere, huh?" Itachi asked himself. Itachi, knowing that he has wasted a lot of time, decides to quickly make haste towards the battle ground, but then a hand on his shoulder stops his movement. Again. But, he knew who the owner of this hand is. "Sirzechs-san. I'm sure you realized by now that I could not afford to spare any more time for talking. So, please remove your hand from my…"

"Why did you do that, Itachi-kun?" Sirzechs questioned.

"…"

"I was planning to carry the burden to protect you, yet you've done something that…"

"I appreciate your feeling, but I never said I need your protection." Itachi said calmly. Sirzechs fell silent, and from the way Itachi spoke, Sirzechs knew that Itachi meant what he said. He tried to retort, but Itachi deemed that the conversation has ended. "Sirzechs-san. As much as I like talking with you, but there is a matter that needs to be done." Itachi said as he walked to the door.

"Itachi-kun…" Seeing the grim expression on Sirzechs face, Itachi decided to ease the man's mood, by telling him his reason for not accepting Sirzechs help.

"Sirzechs-san… This is what I wanted to do. I don't want you to carry _my _burdens, not because I don't need your help. But, it is because I think of you as a dear friend that I don't want to see you sacrificing yourself for me. Besides…you've done more than enough for me…" Itachi told Sirzechs with a smile on his face. And the next moment, he disappeared into the hallway.

"….In the end, he forced us to let him carry all of it on his shoulders." Grayfia, who was standing behind Sirzechs, commented.

"….Yes…" Sirzechs agreed, still staring at the spot where Itachi once stood. "But, Itachi-kun… The same thing can be said for us… You too, are a very important frie – no, my important family." Sirzechs said to himself, while Grayfia sighed tiredly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Hallway] **

Itachi hastened his pace. Each step filled with purpose. He went past several devils that he knew and knew him very well.

The Gremory servants.

They greeted him, gave him encouragements, and some, which are the maids, even went as far as trying to hug him and comfort him. He politely declined though, saying that he has no time to talk with them right now. However, in actuality, he was trying to be alone as fast as possible. Not because he needs to make preparation for his incoming battle. But, because someone was following him.

Itachi, noticed that no one is around, decides to call out to the person who is following him.

"Lord Phenex, I presume?" Itachi asked before turning around to face the supposedly 'Lord Phenex'. As he expected, the one who stands behind him is none other than Lord Phenex, the head of the Phenex clan. A man with a blond hair and a face as old as Lord Gremory. He stares at Itachi with eyes full of amusement, and then he brings a hand to his chin.

"Hoh hoh hoh. So you're not only good at acting, but also detecting someone. Lord Gremory did well in raising you." praised Lord Phenex. Itachi's eyes narrowed at what the older man said, but then he decides to ignore the implications.

"Thank you for your compliment, but unfortunately I have no…"

"Then I'll cut it short." Lord Phenex said, interrupting Itachi. "What is it that you are aiming?" he asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"….." Itachi stayed silent, and stared at Lord Phenex intensely.

"If you were simply aiming to help Gremory's daughter, you wouldn't need to bring all these hardships to yourself, intentionally. The same if you only wanted to protect Sirzechs Lucifer from what he was going to do. You hid it very well with your act, but to be honest, I could not see what you are doing right now, as anything but the tip of what you are truly aiming." Lord Phenex explained his hypothesis to Itachi. Itachi raised his eyebrows in amazement, and then he claps for what the elderly man has accomplished.

"Impressive. I thought I did well in hiding it, but you've managed to see through my ruse. I guess that's to be expected from someone of your stature." Itachi complimented.

"Oh, no. It's nothing as amazing as that." Lord Phenex said, waving off Itachi's praise. "It's just, in a way; you are similar to my eldest son, Ruval. If it wasn't because of that, I wouldn't even be able to notice." Lord Phenex said.

"Is that so? Then what will you do if I don't give you any answer?" Itachi questioned while making a mental note to find out more about this 'Ruval'.

"I will do nothing." Lord Phenex instantly replied. "As far as I could see, whatever it is that you want to achieve, you would never bring harm to those youngsters."

"…."

"Oh, look at the time. Seems like I've held you longer than I thought. You better go now." And with that, the head of the Phenex clan starts walking away. But then he abruptly stopped, and looked back at Itachi. "By the way, I hope you will teach those children of mine what it means to lose."

"You're saying as if they will definitely lose. Don't you have faith in your son's and daughter's strength?" Itachi asked.

"If the opponent was someone else, I would definitely cheer for them. But, the moment I saw you, I knew your strength eclipsed them, even if you suppressed it like now." Lord Phenex said. Itachi's eyes widen a bit, because of what the older man was saying, and he unconsciously touches his chest – or rather, his necklace.

"_Does he know…?"_ thought Itachi gravely, his mind scrambling to find out where and when he might have given out 'its' existence to Lord Phenex. Lord Phenex smiled when he saw Itachi's troubled eyes, but instead of clearing any misgiven that the young man has; he decided to just let him find out by himself.

"Then til…"

"Lord Phenex. No good will ever come from a marriage where love is not shared between both parties. I can tell you only this; I don't want to see what kind of disastrous future that will befall Rias if she is forced to marry against her will." Itachi explained. Lord Phenex's smile widened because of what Itachi had said, and then he bowed his head slightly.

"Till we meet again." Lord Phenex said before he walks away from Itachi. Itachi looks at the figure of Lord Phenex in the distance while frowning, but then he shoves back his thoughts to focus on the battle.

He then starts heading to where tonight's battle is being held.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Gremory castle – Field]**

"He's late." said a girl with a shoulder-length black hair that is styled with two Chinese-style buns, and wears a Chinese dress. "It's already ten minutes past the appointed time. Don't tell me… He's running away?"

"If that is the case, then his provocation was simply a bluff, and he is actually nothing but a coward." said another girl with a blue hair that is styled with four short ponytails, and wears a white haori and red obi under a red happi coat.

"No, he will not, Xuelan, Mira." said a woman with a plain white mask covering her left face.

"Isabela." Xulan and Mira said at the same time.

"He did not strike me as someone who would run away. His eyes were serious when he challenged us, alone." Isabela said, emphasizing the word 'alone'. "Don't you agree? Karlamine?" Isabela asked an armor-wearing girl.

"Yes. His eyes are the eyes of an honorable warrior. Someone who would never abandon his comrades." Karlamine commented.

"Really? He looks like a gloomy and shifty bastard to me." said a girl with a long black hair that is styled into five pony tails, which are hold up using a golden hair accessory.

"Siris." Karlamine glared at her, but Siris simply dismissed her.

"Ne~, ne~. Can I chop him down Ile?" a young girl with turquoise hair asked, a big smile plastered to her face.

"No, Nel! I'm first!" Ile, Nel's twin, protested.

"…"

"What's wrong, Mihae?" Isabela asked a kimono-wearing girl.

"It's nothing. I'm just relieved that the one that we will fight is not another pervert. Well, at least he doesn't seem to be one" Mihae said.

Ravel, who was contemplating about what she should do if she faces him directly, instantly appeared in front of Mihae.

"Don't be tricked by his appearance!" Ravel yelled, surprising not only the girls around him, but also the audience and Raizer who was discussing something with Yubelluna.

"E-eh?" Mihae became surprised at Ravel's sudden outburst. But, what the young Phenex said next will bring utter chaos upon the battlefield.

"He might look serious, but he actually a major pervert! After all, he…he…" Ravel stuttered for a bit, but then she took a deep breath. "He k-k-k-k-kiss my hand!" Ravel screamed while blushing madly.

….

…

….

And the rest is silent.

Sirzechs' jaw drop the moment he heard that. Rias' eyes became watery, and she has the face of a girl who just found out about that her boyfriend is cheating on her. Sona's glasses cracked, and are now gleaming dangerously. Akeno's face went dark and her eyes went blank, but the smile on her face remained, although it made her look extremely dangerous and scary. Koneko crushed the candy in her hand, and the floor under her is slowly being crushed by her feet. Serafall looked like a girl who has just learnt that her favorite person might soon be taken away from her. Yuuto and Sairaorg put a hand on their mouths, and tried their best not to laugh. Lord Gremory and Venelana covered their faces with their hands, lamenting the fact that Itachi seemed to love creating a problem for himself. Meanwhile, Lord Phenex simply strokes his chin with amusement, while thinking that he might have a grandchild soon. On the other hand, Issei and Asia were looking around with confusion. And lastly, Grayfia… She simply sighed.

Issei, who doesn't want to be left in the dark, decided to ask Yuuto. "Oi, Kiba. What's the big deal with kissing her hand?" he asked. Yuuto managed to calm down, and he shifted his attention towards Issei.

"Issei-kun, for a noble, it's very improper, yet also important if a male kissed an unmarried female's hand, because it did not only symbolize that the male was seducing the female, but it also means that he proposed to her." Yuuto explained. It's now Issei's turn to jaw drop.

"So that means, she…"

"…is now in engagement with Itachi-san, unless he drops it." Yuuto finished. "Well, it was a very old tradition, and is no longer taught in the Underworld except to the pure high-class devils, so I guess it's only natural that Itachi-san wouldn't know." Yuuto explained.

"You seemed to be well-verse in this though." Issei said with a tone full of accusation.

"Well… One of my clients loves the setting of princesses and nobles life, so I asked Buchou to help me about that." Yuuto said, his eyes looking tired. "And coincidentally, she also taught about this to Akeno-san and Koneko-chan at the same time." Yuuto said.

While the fiasco continues, none of them realized the arrival of Itachi who is confused as to why everyone seems restless.

"Is there something wrong?" Itachi asked, not realizing the consequences of drawing their attentions at the moment. All of them, with the exception of some, turn to see him, and as one, completely as one, they point at him while yelling…

"IT'S THE DEVIANT!"

….

…

…

"…Huh…?" was the only respond he could give. He was expecting to receive a bad treatment. He was expecting them to throw insult to him. But, he never, not even in a million years, expected to be called a deviant by a massive number of people the moment he stepped in. Never had he expected to receive death glares from certain women who are sitting on the seating platform, especially since one of them is someone that he is trying to save. Not to mention, he has no idea what's the reason behind this hostility, for now.

"I see." Itachi could sense an ominous feeling coming from that voice. "You dared make a move on my sister." Itachi turns his attention to the source of the voice, and he sees Raizer standing with fire sprouting from all parts of his body. "Just so you know… I wouldn't let her go so easily!" Raizer roared.

"!" Itachi was slightly taken aback by the force of Raizer's roar, and Raizer's peerage looked like they have a newfound respect for their master.

"O-onii-sama." Even Ravel was taken aback by her brother's word. She never thought that her brother cared about her that much. But, she shouldn't expect anything decent from Raizer, because the next moment….

"After all, where else could I get a real tsundere-imouto for my peerage!" he yelled, destroying the warm mood that he unintentionally set.

….

…

…..

And once more, the rest is silent.

"…" Itachi is staring flatly at Raizer. No, not only Itachi. EVERYONE is staring flatly at Raizer. They should've expected this; after all, this is Raizer that we're talking about. A man who turned his own sister into a member of his peerage just because he wanted to complete his collection.

"What a fool of a brother…" Itachi flatly commented. Raizer's almost attacked him because of that comment. The keyword is almost. His peerage managed to hold him back, because if he attacked Itachi before the match is started, he will be disqualified.

"W-well then, let's not waste any more time, shall we?" Sirzechs loudly said in an attempt to diver their attentions back to the event. He then stood up and delivered the opening speech. "Now, seeing that both parties have arrived we shall commenced the Rating game between Uchiha Itachi and Raizer Phenex." He raised his hand as Itachi and Raizer's side readied themselves, and most of the crowd can be heard cheering for Raizer's side. He looks at them for a brief moment, and then he swings it down. "Begin!"

BAM!

…

…..

…

"…What….?" Twins with cat-ears slowly looks down, and it took not only them, but also everyone that is present more than ten seconds to realize what just happened.

Before the battle began, Itachi stood at a distant of at least twenty meters from his closest enemy, Siris.

Even for a 'knight', it would take them some time to cover that distance.

However, the moment Sirzechs commence the battle, Itachi suddenly disappeared from that spot, reappeared in front of, and then slammed his palms into the furthest enemies, Ni and Li, the twin catgirls who stood at a distance of forty three meters from him.

Itachi wouldn't let them recognize what is currently happening, and he continues to press his palms into their stomachs.

"First is…you two…" Itachi whispered. Chakra gathered in his palms, and Ni and Li could feel something is twisting their stomachs._** "Rasengan." **_ Itachi pushed them down before they could understand it, and then he unleashed the incomplete rasengan on them.

"Kyaaah!" The result was not only the twin girls being pushed into the ground by the sheer force of Itachi's rasengan, but even the ground beneath them was destroyed. Even if its incomplete, the force of rasengan was more than enough to knock a person out, but the timing needs to be very precise or else it would disperse without giving any result. The smoke and debris from the blast obstruct Itachi's image, and he took that chance to escape into the forest, leaving the two unconscious girls behind.

"Only a fool would place his 'pawns' near each other." Itachi said, insulting Raizer as he disappeared into the forest.

"After him!" Raizer ordered, and then the girls quickly went after Itachi. "Damn it. What just happened?!" Raizer asked while clicking his tongue, irritation visible on his face. "Yubelluna. I want you to blow up the other end of the forest and smoke him out." he ordered the woman besides him.

"Understood." She then flies away and follows her comrades, leaving Raizer and Ravel alone. Ravel looked at the direction of where Itachi is before she turns around to face her brother.

"…Onii-sama…"

"What?" Raizer asked.

"I shall chase him too." Ravel said, with her eyes was strangely determined. She then ran towards the forest without giving Raizer any chance to object. _"I need to make sure…." _Ravel desperately thought.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, the spectators have managed to regain their bearing from the shock of seeing Itachi's attack, and began conversing with each other.

"What was that?" Issei asked, mesmerized by the speed that Itachi has shown. "How did he move so fast like that? Was it promotion 'knight'?" he continued asking the person besides him. Not receiving any answer, he turns towards said person with an annoyed look. "Oi! Ki...ba…?" Issei trailed off after seeing the face that Kiba has.

He was staring intensely, so much that Issei thought that he was a different person entirely. However, he then sees that Sairaorg and the student council president also have the same intensity on their eyes, and that they are looking at the same direction. Issei follows their line of sights, and what he saw at that moment, left him dumbstruck.

There was a pair of holes on the ground.

There was a pair of holes on the ground with the shape of a person's feet.

It was as if those holes were made by pressing one's feet deep into the ground.

"Wha-what the hell is that?!" Issei yelled to Kiba as he pointed a finger at those holes.

"Issei-kun, Itachi-san didn't use promotion 'knight' to achieve that speed." Kiba said, finally answering Issei's earlier question.

"Eh? Then how did he…"

"The answer is in front of you." Sona suddenly said. Issei turns his attention towards her, but before he could ask what she meant, she continues. "You've seen those holes. Itachi, he actually pressed his feet with so much strength that not only his feet created holes on the ground, but also made him able to accelerate faster than a knight." Sona explained. Issei looks back at Kiba, and he gives Issei a nod as a sign that he agreed with Sona's deduction. However, the same couldn't be said for Sairaorg.

"_No, you guys are wrong."_ Sairaorg thought as he continued to observe the holes that Itachi made. _"If Itachi was simply using brute force to accelerate to that extent, the result wouldn't be feet-shape holes, but a small crater or a crack on the ground." _he thought as a grin reappeared on his face. "Yes… What he did was…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Forest]**

"_Either he is very confident in their abilities, reckless, or he is just plain stupid." _Itachi thought as he observed the incoming assailants. He is running between from tree to tree, while occasionally dodging attacks from the ones behind him. He lured them into the forest, because this is the place where he could fight freely. It's not because there is an element which would handicap him if he fight elsewhere, but here, he wouldn't have to worry about people seeing him using his ninjutsu. He is confident enough that this thick forest could hide him from the eyes of people when he forms hand seals.

As he continues to observe the enemies, he let out a small sigh. He was expecting Raizer to be a bit smarter in using his servants, giving them strategic orders and such, but instead he sent them heading straight to him. It was as if Raizer is sending them for him to beat. He could take care of them easily, but it would not do if Ravel is not participating in this chase. Then, he noticed a shadow above him, and after he averted his eyes upward, he smiled a bit.

"So, he could think after all…" Itachi muttered as he saw Yubelluna hovering far above him. His eyes narrowed, however, when he saw her preparing to fire her magic. Yubelluna aimed her wand towards Itachi and then she fired her bomb.

Don't worry, the pain only last in an instance." Yubelluna said with a smile as she saw her attack heading straight towards Itachi. Her magic exploded, and leaves only charred remains of trees as a proof of how powerful her attack was. "Hm~. So, he was reduced to ash? Or, was he already teleported to receive treatment?" Yubelluna asked while holding her chin up.

"Neither." said a voice from behind her.

"Eh?" She quickly turned around, and saw Itachi standing on top of a tree.

"_**KATON: Gōkakyū no Jutsu." **_

A massive fireball grazed her left arm, causing her to fall down and painfully grimaces. Her left arm would be engulfed by that fireball if not for her quick dodge. However, it should be noted that, because Itachi didn't want to cause accidental death, he didn't aim for an easier target like her body. Instead, he simply aimed to injure her enough so that she would be forced to yield.

"There he is!" said a voice from below. He jumped down on time to dodge an attack from Siris and Karlamine, but then his legs are shaking slightly.

"_The recoil is worse than I thought." _Itachi thought as he continued to either parry their attacks or dodge. To escape from Yubelluna's attack, Itachi used the technique that he used to defeat Ni and Li, which is a form of speed burst. What he did was concentrating chakra to his legs, but not to reinforce his legs. Rather, he was aiming to create shock waves from his feet, which then would increase his speed tremendously. It is still an experiment though.

He first gained an inspiration to create this technique after he saw the speed that Baphomet had shown him. He thought about that, but in the end it still didn't make sense to him. To achieve that kind of speed in normal ways, Baphomet would have need at least a single step, even if it's small, to create the dash. However, the kind of speed when he was hurled by Baphomet is not something that can be considered as 'running' or 'acceleration'. It shouldn't be possible to suddenly accelerate to such an extent when he was standing still. And so, Itachi figured that there must be some kind of trick behind that movement, something that would allow him to cover long distance in less than a second.

Instead of trying to figure out what Baphomet did, however, Itachi decided to make his own version of speed burst. By mimicking the manner of rocket's propulsion. The result was like what he had shown; he could suddenly cover a great distance even if he was standing still previously. The recoil from the 'push', however, is something that he needs to consider if he wants to use it, for his legs could not stand such force and there is a chance that he could lose the use of his legs if he uses this technique recklessly.

"What's wrong? Is that all you've got?" Isabela asked as she ran towards Itachi and delivered a flurry of punches, destroying several trees in the process. "Victory can't be achieved if you're simply running away."

"Thank you for the advice, but unfortunately….it is not yet time." Itachi said as he captured Isabela's right wrist with his hands and proceed to throw her towards Mihae. Mihae was taken by surprise and couldn't even move her body to dodge. The result was both Isabela and Mihae crashed into one of the trees, and Mihae slowly losing her consciousness while Isabela was lying on the ground. "That's two…"

"Isabela! Mihae!" Karlamine shouted. She then glares at Itachi and slowly unsheathes her sword. "For the sake of my comrades that fell by your hands, I, the knight of Raizer Phenex, Karlamine, shall take you on!" she shouted before dashing towards Itachi. She swings her sword towards his right shoulder with the intention to end this battle as quickly as possible, but then….

CLANK

Instead of Itachi's flesh, what she struck was a knife that Itachi hid in his right sleeve.

"Your attitudes and devotions to your comrades are admirable, but…" Using Karlamine's sword and its broad side, he slides the knife towards Karlamine's neck. "You should be smarter on how and where you deliver your attacks." Itachi commented. Karlamine dodged Itachi's knife attack, but she failed to notice that it was simply a distraction, for Itachi's left foot was heading towards her stomach.

"G-gah!" Itachi's foot embedded itself deep into her stomach, and blood spurted out of her mouth. From her face alone, it's obvious just how powerful Itachi's kick was. Well, that's to be expected since Itachi reinforced his foot with chakra before he kicked her. However, slowly a smile appears on that pained face, and then she stares at Itachi with a triumphant look. "I've got you now." Karlamine said with a smile as she gripped Itachi's foot. Her triumphant face turned into one of confusion, however, when Itachi gave her the same smile.

"Yes. You've got me…" Itachi said as he pulled out four kunais from his left sleeve. And then he throws it behind. "…And thanks to that, you led them right into my trap."

"What!?" Karlamine stared at where Itachi had thrown his kunais, and what she saw left her stunned.

She was planning to be the bait and ambushed him with her comrades.

However, instead of successfully ambushing him, three of her comrades are now being tied into the trees with some kind of strings.

"Everyone!" Karlamine screamed. "Kah!" She groaned painfully as Itachi stabbed her hands with his knife. She unwillingly let go of Itachi's foot, and then he kicks her away.

"That's thr…"

"You're wide open!" a girl from behind shouted. Itachi turns around to see four girls, Siris, Xuelan, Ile and Nel, coming his way. Two from the air and two from the ground.

"Haha~. Onii-chan~, let Ile and Nel cut you down~." the loli twins said simultaneously as they aimed their chainsaws towards his legs, determined to sever them from the rest of his body.

"Stay still and let me beat you up!" Xuelan said as she aimed a kick from the air.

"Take this!" Siris shouted as she aimed a vertical slash from above.

Itachi, seeing the strategy and teamwork that Raizer's peerage demonstrated, could only say….

"Utter foolishness." And with that, he jumped back just two meters behind from where he originally stood, but that was more than enough.

"WHAT?!" the four girls yelled at the same time. "Kyaaah!" they screamed in pain, because their attacks hit each other. People might think it's a good strategy to corner and attack an enemy from the ground and the air simultaneously, but it should be noted that the angles of their attacks would most likely make them hit each other, in the case that the enemy was not standing still like an idiot and could actually dodge. Not to mention, there was no coordination between those girls, and they actually tried to attack him with as much speed as possible without any plan to halt their movement, possibly to increase the potential damage done to him.

"_Even genins demonstrated a much better strategy and teamwork than them…" _Itachi thought as he observed the four girls who self-destructed, because of their own stupidity. He then turns his attention towards one of the trees, or rather, the girl hiding behind that tree without even turning around to confirm it. "And now….the last one."

Meanwhile, the girl who was hiding behind said tree is trembling in fear. She had thought that it would be an easy victory. She had thought that, despite being the weakest, she would be fine, knowing that it will be just one person against an entire peerage. She had thought that, since the enemy was a 'pawn' like her and didn't possess any sacred gear, the battle would turn to their favor immediately. She's wrong. The opposite happened. Their side were being dominated and defeated in a very short time instead. Her bad habit of underestimating an opponent had made her unable to discern the enemy's true strength. And now, the only thing that she could do is hold her wooden staff tightly while waiting for the man to show an opening.

"Calm down, Mira." Mira whispered to herself. "You can do this. His attention is focused on the others right now." She hardened her mind, and decided to go for the attack. However….

"Your determination was admirable, but you've already lost your chance." Itachi said from behind her. Mira turns around, but then Itachi grabs her on the neck. "I will need you to sleep for a bit." Itachi said before he cut her oxygen supply, causing her to fall into unconsciousness. He stared at the fallen form of the girl, and then he looks back at the rest of them. However, unlike other people who would feel a sense of triumph over such an easy victory, he instead became wary.

The reason is simple.

It was too easy.

No matter how weak they are, it shouldn't be – _couldn't be,_ this easy.

He has predicted that it would actually take him a while to win, but it didn't even take half the amount of time that he predicted he would need.

And so, the only thing that Itachi could think of was…

"Something is not right." he muttered. _"With his experience in ten Rating games, Raizer shouldn't be lacking in the strategic department. Not to mention, the skill of his peerage is considered high in the ranking, yet they didn't seem to be as powerful as they supposed to be." _He stares back at the fallen form of Raizer's peerage and, after observing their conditions, he noticed a peculiarity on their bodies. _"I see. So that's his plan. I guess he is not as stupid as he…." _His train of thought abruptly stopped when he heard a sound of footsteps coming this way. Based on the magic signature, he knew who that person is. "You finally arrived, Ravel." Itachi said her name as he turned to face her.

"Ah." Ravel Phenex gasped as she took in the sigh in front of her. Her brother's peerage lies there, defeated. But what concerned her the most is the fact that none of them got teleported to the nursing room. In that case, the reason could only be….

"Did you….kill them?" Ravel asked while trembling.

"Maybe yes, maybe no." Itachi answered enigmatically. Ravel's expression darkened considerably, and fire began to sprout form her hands. "You could see it for yourself, right? Then, I have no need to…" He quickly dodged Ravel's fire magic, and jumped far away onto one of the trees, leaving Ravel and Raizer's peerage behind. "….tell you." Itachi finished as he stared at Ravel from above. Ravel quickly went after him, and when she arrived in front of him, she began angrily yelling at him.

"You didn't have to kill them!" Ravel yelled as wings of fire sprouted from her back. "They…!"

"You seem to be highly concerned about them." Itachi said, interrupting Ravel before she could continue her ranting. "I thought that to you… They are merely you brother's _servants." _Itachi coldly stated, emphasizing the word 'servants'. Ravel's heart felt like it was stabbed with a hot knife, but then she furiously glared at Itachi. Itachi, seeing the look that Ravel gave him, decided to taunt her even further. "That's a nice look that you have. Maybe I should have defeated them in front of you?" Itachi asked with a mocking tone.

That did it. Ravel's body became engulfed in a very intense fire, so much that everything within the radius of ten meters from her spot got burned. Itachi could feel the heat on his skin, and even though it's not unbearable, but he knows that if he continues to be exposed to it, a heat like this will become dangerous for a human like him. However, that was not as important as what he has confirmed.

"_As I suspected…"_ Itachi thought to himself, his eyes already shifted to his sharingan. _"Her magic supply is much larger than her brother's, and…" _He narrowed his eyes as he dodged a fireball, and immediately conjured a magic circle. _"…She actually capable of altering the shape of her fire…" _he amusedly thought. _"But still…."_

"Don't run!" Ravel yelled with annoyance. She became even more annoyed when she saw the small smile on Itachi's lips, thinking that he was still mocking her. "Gugu~. Take this!" She launched another attack, but this time her fire was shaped into daggers. Itachi's eyes widened a bit, but then he calmly countered her attack with water bullets from his magic circles. "Hmph! Water means nothing in front of our fire!" Ravel declared proudly as she launched another attack.

"That may be true…but…" Itachi trailed off as he countered her attack again. "You should be wary of the steam…" Itachi warned her. Ravel didn't understand what Itachi was saying at first, but then she realized what he meant when she began to have breathing difficulty. She looks around, and noticed that the surrounding area is filled with thick steam.

"T-this is…!"

"It's hard to breathe, right?" Itachi asked while covering his face with his hand. "With this amount of thickness, it will be quite a feat if you could breathe normally. But, the problem is… what do you think would happen if you continue sprouting that fire of yours while I continue sending cold water towards you?" Itachi questioned as his sharingan began to spin. He doubted that Ravel didn't understand the consequences of attacking further, but just in case she decides to be reckless, he has made some preparation. However, to his curiosity, Ravel, instead of attacking him with her fire or escaping, she engulfed her body in fire. She then compressed the fire to the point that it looks like an armor that she wears. No, it is more accurate to say that the fire became herself.

Itachi observed her for a second, and then he realized what her intention actually is when he could not feel the wind. _"This is bad!" _Itachi thought as he erected a barrier to protect himself.

The next moment, Ravel 'explode'.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Audience seating platform]**

BOOM

"What the hell was that?! Damnit! I can't see what's happening, because he took the battle to the forest." complained a young man with green hair and tattoos covering his face after he saw the explosion on the far reach of the forest. In response, a girl of Issei's age who wears glasses hit his head. "Ouch! What the…!"

"Be quiet, Zephyrdor. Your nasty voice polluted the air." the girl harshly ordered.

"Seekvaira, you little…!" Zephyrdor's attempt to lash out at Seekvaira was stopped when Sairaorg suddenly stood between them.

"Okay, that's enough. If you have time to quarrel, you better see that." Sairaorg said as he pointed at something in the distance. They turned their attentions to where Sairaorg's was pointing and what they saw was more than enough to make the flabbergasted.

"Is that…phoenix wings?" Seekvaira asked, with her voice carried both uncertainty and astonishment. In the distance, there is a pair of wings rising to the sky. But, what makes it different from other kind of wings is the fact that it composed of purely fire. Seekvaira looks at Sairaorg, and decides to ask for confirmation. "Does that mean, Raizer…eh?" To her surprise, Sairaorg shook his head. He then simply points his finger at a certain man who is also dumbfounded. "That's…Raizer. Wait, so that means…those wings are…"

"Those are Ravel's." Lord Phenex, who appeared from out of nowhere, suddenly said. Sairaorg, Zephyrdor, and Seekvaria jumped slightly, because of the sudden appearance of the older man. They turn around to face him, but suddenly Lord Phenex let out a hearty laugh. "Hohohoh~. I don't know what you are trying to accomplish by bringing her to such state…but I'll leave her in your capable hands, young one." Lord Phenex said while laughing. The three young devils, who have no idea what he was talking about, stares at each other and then they shrugged.

On the other side of the platform, the crimson Satan and his wife/maid also discusses the ongoing battle.

"Sirzechs-sama, what do you think about that?" Grayfia asked as her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I think we should have brought raw meat with us. That way…we can have barbeque~." Sirzechs casually said with a tone that indicated his seriousness, in wanting a barbeque that is. Quickly, Grayfia's right hand scrambles into action. It formed a shape reminiscent of a claw crane, and it was aimed towards Sirzechs for the sole purpose of….

"AAAAHHHHHHH!"

Crushing his left cheek.

"Stop your jokes, Sirzechs-sama." Grayfia began coldly. "Or else, my other hand will find it's to the rest of your face." Grayfia finished with a gaze that could freeze the entire Underworld. Sirzechs trembled from his wife's gaze, and he knows that if he doesn't diffuse the situation, it would turn very badly for him. And so, the only thing that he could think of was….

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

To beg for forgiveness while kneeling down.

Grayfia sighs tiredly, and then she turns her attention to the matter at hand. "Sirzechs-sama, what do you think about…'that'?" Grayfia asked once more while gesturing towards something in the forest. Sirzechs, who was already sitting back on his chair, looks very serious for once.

"I don't know. Nothing comes to mind." Sirzechs answered as he too stared at the source of their confusion. "I have never seen anything like that." Sirzechs admitted. Grayfia sighs once more, and decides to voice her opinion.

"Perhaps that…ethereal skeleton…is '_that thing's true form_?" Grayfia asked with concern thick in her voice. What they were staring at was not Ravel's wings, but rather an ethereal skeleton that encompassed Itachi. Sirzechs shakes his head.

"We mustn't jump to conclusion when we only have so little information." Sirzechs said as his face shows an unusual seriousness. "Besides, look." Sirzechs gestured for Grayfia to observe the ethereal skeleton more carefully. She raised her eyebrow when she saw that Itachi was controlling it. "If what I think is correct, I'll say that thing is Itachi-kun's technique." Sirzechs said. Grayfia stared at her husband for a moment before a wry smile appeared on her lips. "Mu? What's wrong, Grayfia? Why the funny look?" Sirzechs confusedly asked.

"It's nothing. I was simply astonished that you could actually say something decent." Grayfia said with a matter of fact voice. Sirzechs immediately fell down from his chair.

"That's not NOTHING! That's cruel! Very cruel, Grayfia!" Sirzechs cried, tears streaming down from his eyes. Grayfia sighs at her husband's antique and, to his dismay, decides to just ignore him and focused her attention back to the battle.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Forest]**

"Hah…hah….hah…." Such was the sound of Ravel's erratic breathing. Despite being tired, she still managed to calmly observe and analyze her current situation.

Around her is, literally, a scene that looks like it came out straight from war movies. The ground and the trees are scorched. The burning smell lingers in the air. Everything in the radius of fifty meters couldn't possibly survive after being hit by what Ravel had unleashed. After all, what she had unleashed was a 500 degree Celsius explosion. The heat was more than a half of lava's lowest heat, and even if the explosion didn't directly hit, it would still be painful to stand on the same place as she is.

However, that didn't give her victory. Even that wasn't enough to defeat the man in front of her. In front of her, despite the fact that she herself couldn't believe her eyes, Itachi stands unscathed, with his Susanoo's ribcage covering his body. Ravel's explosion power was great enough that it shattered his defensive barrier, and forced him to manifest Susanoo to protect himself from the blast. Even then, it wasn't enough because he still could feel the heat, and thus it prompted him to further enhance his Susanoo with water magic to prevent the heat from affecting him. That is why he could stand on the ground despite its temperature being very hot. But, if he steps out, or undo's his Susanoo, the heat would immediately get to him.

Itachi stares at Ravel for a moment, and then he claps for what she has accomplished.

"You're maybe not as smart as some people, but you certainly are resourceful." Itachi complimented. "At first… I thought you were merely shielding yourself from the steam by engulfing your entire body with fire. But…then I remembered one other element that is a natural affinity of the Phenex…wind." Itachi said. "What you actually did…was compressing the fire and the wind together and created a bomb with yourself acting as the detonator. The method of your attack was similar to a suicide bomb, and if it was someone else who did that it would be extremely foolish. But you… You took advantage of your so called _immortality _to survive. Clever move, but I've been through even worse explosions." Itachi finished. He waits for Ravel to give some kind of response, but she seems to be too tired to speak. So, he walks closer to her, and then…

"How?"

"?"

"How did you come out unscathed? Why did your eyes change to that? What is that thing around you?!" Ravel asked without even drawing a breath.

"Asked one question at a time, will you? You're hurting my ears." Itachi said as he covered his ears with his hands. Ravel's annoyance level increased because she knows he was messing with her, but it would burst after she heard what Itachi said next. "As for your questions… Who is stupid enough to reveal his secrets to an enemy when asked?" Itachi calmly mocked. Unknown to him, however, there are indeed certain people who are stupid enough to reveal the secrets behind their techniques when their enemies asked. Ravel's anger surpassed its boiling point and then..

"Ugaaaa~h!" she screamed while throwing her hands to the sky. "Gaaaah! Gaaaaaa~h!" she continued screaming incoherently while swinging her hands and stomping her legs.

….

…..

…..

Itachi sweat dropped.

"Calm down. You are showing a very unseemly behavior right n…" He didn't finish his sentence, because Ravel threw a massive fireball towards him. It has no effect on Itachi who was being enveloped by his Susanoo though.

"How could I calm down!?" Ravel complained. "You…you… Even though you said we're friends, even though you k-k-k…" Ravel's ranting became even more incoherent, and she only whispered the last part with a very small voice, causing Itachi to curiously tilt his head. "But you wouldn't stop making fun of me! And! And! Aaaaahhhh! I don't know what's what anymore!" she screamed while gripping her head, which caused Itachi to sweat drop again. "However!" She instantly conjured numerous magic circles aimed towards Itachi. "I do know that this feeling is anger, and right now…." She then shots hundreds of fireball towards Itachi. "I'm angry at you for killing those girls!"

Itachi shielded himself using Susanoo while secretly making hand seals.

"_**SUITON: Suiryudan no jutsu. **_

Despite not having water source on the vicinity, Itachi managed to form three water dragons to fend off Ravel's attacks. Ravel was taken surprise by the appearance of three eastern dragons made of water, but it was a huge mistake, for that single moment was all Itachi needed to cover their distance.

"Ah!" Itachi pulled her inside his Susanoo and pinned her down. "L-let me go!" she shouted while trying her best to release herself from Itachi's grips. She tried to burn him, but then she realized what would happen if she does that. As she is surrounded by magic circles.

"….Have you not realized it?" Itachi asked. Ravel stared at him confusedly, and Itachi decides to continue. "The reason as to why you are angry for those girls. Have you really not realized it? It's the same reason why you are angry at me right now." Itachi stated. Ravel looks even more confused, making him sigh slightly. Deciding not to prolong this any longer, since he sensed several presences 700 meters behind him, he whispers the answer to her.

"Wai-wha-?!" Ravel blushed when Itachi came closer to her, and even more so when his mouth was near his ears. But, it was all gone when she heard what he whispered. She stares at him with wide eyes as he slowly pulls his head away from hers. Itachi calmly stared back, but in Ravel's opinion, the expression on Itachi's face at that time somehow looked caring like her eldest brother yet at the same time there's something more than that. She swallowed her saliva and decided to ask for clarification. "W-what do you mean?" Ravel asked, uncertainty slowly growing in her mind.

"It's just as I said." Itachi replied. Ravel was looking skeptical at his reply, but before she could voice her opinion, he continued. "If you still don't trust me… Why don't you confirm it with them? Go ask them, and if it is as you feared then…we'll think of something." Itachi assured with a warm smile on his lips.

"….I understand… I'll try…" Ravel said softly while looking away from Itachi with a red face. "Hm? Wait." She suddenly remembered something important. "How can I do that when you have killed them all?!" she yelled.

"I didn't kill them, you know." Itachi answered truthfully.

"Eh? But you said…"

"I said 'maybe yes, maybe no'. Besides, I've told you to see for yourself. It was you who didn't listen to what I was saying and suddenly attacked me." Itachi explained without any feeling of guilt to what he had done to the younger girl. Ravel's body shakes, so much that Itachi could sense something bad is going to happen soon. His fear was proven true when Ravel suddenly laughed darkly.

"Fu..fufufufu…hahahahaha…" Itachi didn't know why, but when he heard that laughter, his warning bell immediately rang. "I got it… You just don't get enough do you? You…you…" Ravel muttered while gritting her teeth and smiling dangerously.

"_Oh no…"_ Itachi flatly thought as he inhaled as much air as possible. He, after all, knew what will come next.

"You just have to keep teasing me don't you!?" she yelled as fire started to sprout from her body again. If asked, many would agree that this historic moment where a Phoenix turned into a dark Phoenix was caused by a certain man who, to put it bluntly, loved to create troubles with the ladies albeit unintentionally. The magic circles, that Itachi had set up as a precaution against Ravel's fire, automatically shot out a massive amount of water, to the point that the inside of his Susanoo is now flooded with water. Of course, there is no need to explain that the two 'passengers' of said Susanoo are currently drowning.

"_Mmph! Mmmmph!" _Ravel, who had no idea that the magic circles would drowned them like this, has breathing difficulty since, unlike Itachi who knew what's going to happen, she didn't inhale any air earlier, and doesn't even try to hold it. Her squirming also didn't make it any better for her, and only served to further decrease her air supply. _"I…can't breathe…." _Her fire slowly dies out as her consciousness is disappearing. Itachi, seeing that Ravel is slowly losing her consciousness, checks for her pulse, and noted that if he doesn't do something right now, her life will be in danger. Filtering the water's out of his Susanoo is a big NO since that means he needs to undo his technique, and who knows whether the temperature outside is already returned to normal or not. He inwardly sighs at this situation after acknowledging that he was the one who brought it upon them.

"_Guess I have no choice…" _Slowly he brought his face closer to her. Ravel has no idea time what Itachi was intending to do as her consciousness is almost gone. But then her eyes snaps open and her consciousness returned full force. It's all because….

KISS

Itachi kissed her. Ravel could feel his tongue intertwined with hers. She could feel as his mouth channeled air into hers. She could feel his breath on her face. And the most embarrassing part was…she could feel his warmth in her mouth.

It's not exactly accurate for what Itachi did to be called a simple kiss, because what he did was actually CPR. But still, to a young girl who just hits her puberty and never have any sexual experience, much less a kiss, she couldn't register what he did as anything but a _kiss. _

Of course I have no need to tell you about how dangerous Itachi's life would be if certain females knew about this particular event. Heck, even now his life is already in danger because of his kiss-to-the-hand and I assure you, the moment those females heard about this – if they heard about this, death would be the most preferable outcome.

Heat starts to creep up to Ravel's face and her eyes starts to swirl. She regained her energy and began trashing around. Itachi, seeing that she has regained her consciousness, pulled his mouth away from hers and gives her a signal with his hand to calm down. She keeps trashing around though, to the point that Itachi's face and chest got punched and kicked several times. In fact, his neck is hurting so much at the moment as a result of Ravel's kick. Itachi massage his neck, but then Ravel punches him on the face with all she got. The result was his head almost got blown away, and would be if not for the fact that they were in the water. Itachi, having enough of her trashing, grabs her hands and then hugs her.

….

…..

….

Ravel's mind reached a new level of disarray. Embarrassed is a complete understatement to describe her state of mind. On the other hand, the culprit who caused her to enter her current state calmly, and coldly without any hint of interest on the opposite sex who is in his arms, analyzed the environment on the outside. He extended his senses to find out if it's alright to get out of Susanoo or not.

"_It keeps dropping… I guess it is fine now." _Itachi thought as he released Ravel from his hug and undo his Susanoo. However, what Itachi didn't put in mind was his and Ravel's position when they're falling down. So right now Ravel is underneath him, while he is on top of her. In itself, this position will definitely cause misunderstanding if someone sees it. However, there are two things that made it even worse.

One. They are wet, and so their clothes sticking to their skins, especially Ravel. Her complexion is very visible to be glorified by Itachi. In fact, perverts would definitely love to see this.

Two. Itachi's left hand slipped from her shoulder when they fell down. And right now its position is on top of a mountain that is located on Ravel's chest.

To put it simply…. He is groping her breast.

GUNYUU~

Such was the sound that her breast made when Itachi's hand squeezed it. Ravel's breasts can't be called small for it is the size of his palm, yet it's not big either. It's best to say that her size is modest; it's neither big nor small. Just perfect for the hands to squeeze it. Many males, especially the perverts, would love to switch place with the man, who the perverts would definitely call 'the lucky bastard', and feel that sot sensation. Many males, especially the perverts, would have nosebleeds when they feel its softness. Many males, ESPECIALLY THE PERVERTS, would have a…_perverse…_face and definitely wanted to take things even further.

However, Itachi is not most men, and he's definitely not a pervert either. He possesses strong respect even towards someone of the opposite sex. And so, unlike those men (a.k.a. perverts), his reaction when he realized his hand was squeezing Ravel's breast was also different.

His face went dark.

Sweat dripping like a flood from his face.

And his left hand was as stiff as a rock.

It got even stiffer when a certain tower was erected on that mountain of hers.

To put it bluntly, between his left index finger and middle finger, Ravel's nipple gloriously stood up.

And so he began to let out even more cold sweats.

It's all because he knew what kind of 'shit' was happening to him.

"Aa~hn." Such was the sound of Ravel's moan. He is fortunate that Ravel's mind is still in the state of disarray, or she might goes berserk and chased him with the intention of ending his life.

Don't expect girls that you've just met to say 'iyaan' or 'why you~' with a sweet voice when you touched their breasts. Reality is far crueler than that. It would be nice if you only need to deal with authorities after that. But some girls would mercilessly beat you up if you did that, and you'll wish that they gave you quick death instead.

Itachi's reaction was not because he felt awkward with this situation or because he was afraid of the consequences. No, it was because he was the one who felt violated. Imagine; someone who possesses a strong code of moral suddenly got thrust into the kind of situation that is straight out of eroge. For Itachi, it was like his moral was being tested, and it's only because of his amazing self-control and disinterest on the opposite sex that he hasn't made another move.

Slowly, he removes his hand from her boing, but then….

GRAB

Ravel grabbed his hand, denying him his safe escape.

"….Ravel…." Itachi calmly called out to her. Because her face was covered by her bang, Itachi didn't know what kind of expression on her face. But he has a hunch that she was angry at him. He was mistaken tough.

"Hey. Why did you hide your name from me?" Ravel asked with a wavering voice. Itachi raised his eyebrows, because of all the things that she could ask or say regarding their

"You didn't ask." Itachi answered simply.

"Pft… That's just the way you are, huh." Ravel said with a small smile. Then, her smile widened as a blush gradually covered her face. "….You know, I don't mind if it's with you… Its fine for me…" she muttered with a shy smile.

"If what is fine for you?" Itachi asked. Somehow he has a really bad feeling about this, but for the sake of finding out the reason why she doesn't seems to be herself, he needed to ask that question.

"*/*For us to be engaged*/*…" Ravel whispered as her blush intensified. She looked up to Itachi and, although her face was beet red, it only serves to further emphasize the beauty of her eyes. "But…you…no…we need to give an explanation to Rias-sama." she muttered, feeling guilty to Rias. Itachi didn't hear her though. His mind was already in a frozen state when she mentioned their engagement.

"What…are you talking about?" Itachi stiffly asked. "When did I ever propose to you?" He believed that his ears must have gotten bad for him to hear such a ridiculous thing. However, Ravel gladly dispelled it.

"But you kissed my hand, and that means we are engaged now. After all it's a custom that if a man kissed a noble girl's hand, it's to be taken as a sign that he was proposing to her." Ravel explained. Itachi's gaze turned flat. Swallowing his shock after hearing the existence of such a stupid…_custom…_, he decided to ask for confirmation.

"…..There's such custom?"

"Yup." Ravel happily answered.

"How come I've never heard about it?" For something not to be known by Itachi is a very big deal, after all, he had studied the _entire _history, cultures and traditions of not only the Underworld, but also human world, youkai realm, Heavens, Valhalla and other heavenly realms. For him to forget or miss on something as important as the custom that Ravel mentioned was almost impossible.

"…The books and history about it got abolished during the Great War, and right now it is only being passed down verbally from the head of the clan to the heirs. The public has no idea about this." Ravel said.

"….Verbally…" Itachi repeated incredulously.

"Verbally." Ravel confirmed.

"…And no one ever thought of writing it down again?"

"Well… Many clans' heads proposed for that…but…to put it in Lucifer-sama's words….. 'It's a hassle to write 300 books about that, so let's simplify it and make it a vocal instead~' was supposedly what he said." Ravel explained, putting a finger on her left cheek.

"_Sirzechs-san…you…" _Itachi darkly thought. Sirzechs has, though indirectly, a part in the creation of his trouble, again. Just think about it. If, Sirzechs ordered that custom to be written down again, then Itachi would be able to learn about it, and prevented himself from doing that regrettable act. Well, it's already too late to learn about this, but at least now Itachi has someone whom he could use to vent his *EHEM* _annoyance._ Not to mention, for some reason he could hear Sirzechs saying '_Ahahaha! Well, sorry about that, Itachi-kun~._' with an overly exaggerated laugh and without a shred of guilt, which drastically increased his level of annoyance towards the Crimson Satan. Itachi, having enough of this misunderstanding, decides to clear things up. However…

"I can't wait to tell Okaa-sama." Ravel excitedly said. Her expression was one of pure bliss, so much that even her face is glowing. Now, Itachi is not a heartless bastard. He might appear as cool, calm and collected, and occasionally cold when he deemed it necessary. But, he is not heartless – no, he is the opposite of heartless in fact. So, when faced with overpowering innocence and radiance, even he became troubled. While he still considering the pro and cons of the available options, Ravel suddenly put a hand on her mouth and then, with an expression that shows she just remembered something urgent, says… "Ah! Please forgive me, but I accidentally yelled that you've kissed my hand in front of everyone." If someone else was in Itachi's shoes, he would definitely scream at her. But seeing the guilt-ridden look on Ravel's face, he could not bring himself to do anything else but sighed.

Oh…the irony. He was here to help Rias get out of her current predicament, but look what happened. He found himself being in a similar position as her. It couldn't even be called a joke. Truly ironic.

Feeling a headache coming his way, Itachi stares at Ravel and mutters "….It's fine. I'm not angry…"

After saying that, realization quickly hits him. He sweat dropped as the revelation sank to his brain, which was about the reason why the girls gave him death glares. He mentally sighed at the severity of his predicament, and for once he actually wished he could rewind the time and fix this mess. However, there is no point in lamenting the past. The only thing he could do is to move forward. He closed his eyes briefly, before opening it and intensely stares at Ravel. "Ravel, I have a favor to ask."

"Y-yes?"

"Could you…postpone…your decision?" Itachi told her his request. Ravel blinks twice, before suddenly she becomes depressed. "No. Whatever it is that you are thinking right now…it's not because of that." Itachi assured her after he clearly saw her negative thought.

"Then?" Ravel asked with slightly teary eyes.

"I don't want you to be hasty about this. This is a matter that you should think over carefully. You are still young, after all…" Itachi advised her.

"You're also still young." Ravel retorted while pouting.

"_Not as young as I appeared to be…" _Itachi wryly thought. "The point is…you still have a future ahead of you. There are things that need to be seen, things to be experienced, and you need to learn to take responsibility over your choices. Not to mention, you wouldn't be able to accomplish what you aspire to be if you are chained to me." Itachi explained slowly to make sure that the words sank to her mind. Seeing that Ravel followed this conversation, he continues. "Besides…when one day you found the person that you truly love, you will definitely regret your hasty decision. I don't..." Itachi trailed off as if seemingly trying to find the correct words.

"You don't….?" Ravel repeated, not being able to hold back her curiosity.

"I don't want you to live a life where you can't be happy." Itachi calmly finished with a matter of fact tone.

…..

…..

…

POF!

Such was the sound of her blush.

Her face instantly became red, and it took her entire energy to stay conscious and covered her blush after hearing that. The sentence itself was not really romantic (after all she had heard sweeter lines from other young devils), however, what truly blew up her defenses was the weight behind it. He said those words without any ulterior motives. He said those words not to flatter her. He said those words not to tease her. It was just as it looked like.

He was serious about what he said.

He really meant what he said.

And thus, Ravel came into a conclusion.

He said it because he really cares for her.

"….You really ARE different…." Ravel softly muttered with a small smile plastered on her lips. She looks absolutely charming right now, and if Itachi was – to put it in a simple way – _normal,_ he would definitely be entranced by her smile. "Hey, can I ask you something?" Ravel asked.

"About what?" Itachi asked back. He raised his brows when Ravel began to fidget and shyly looked away, but then he shook his head slightly and decided to urge her. "Just say it. I won't get mad." Well…it's not like there are many things that could make him angry though. Only the craziest of the craziest, the stupidest of the stupidest, the extremist of the extremist, or the evilest of the evilest is capable of actually angering him. Even Sirzechs, despite his stupidity, could only spark a degree of annoyance in him, not anger. Of course such people are very rare, and even then, his control of his own emotions might actually prevent him from being truly angry.

Ravel swallowed her saliva, and then opens her mouth. "In the case that…there was no one else for me…will you acc…" Before she could finish her sentence, a voice of a metal dropping caught their attention.

CLANK

Itachi's head snapped to the left and what he saw was….

"A-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a…."

Members of Raizer's peerage with their mouths hanging open.

….

…..

…..

The silent was seriously awkward.

Most members whom Itachi defeated earlier are back in full strength thanks to Phoenix Tears. Their plan was originally to make Itachi drop his guard by purposefully letting themselves got defeated. And then when his strength weakened, they would secretly drink the Phenex Tears that Raizer gave to them earlier, and gang up on him. Of course such tactic does not sit well with some, but since it was their master's order, they would definitely obey it.

However, what supposed to be a fake defeat turned into an actual defeat. Their injuries were, although not life-threatening, severe to say the least. Some of them actually got incapacitated, and for the rest, they could only squirm on the ground while holding their pains. It required the least injured members, which are Isabella and Mira, to quickly drink their Phoenix Tears, and then forced the rest of them to drink it, or they would be teleported away.

So, after spending some time to recover themselves, they quickly went after him, and noticed the scorched left behind by a Phenex's fire. Realizing that it could only be Ravel, they hastened their paces, but then imagined their surprised when they arrived at the scene.

What they saw was their precious Ravel-sama, with her dress sticking to her skin, being held down by Itachi.

What they saw was their precious Ravel-sama being held down by Itachi, with his right leg positioned between her thighs and almost touching her 'secret garden'.

To make it worse, they saw how Itachi's left hand was squeezing (that's how they saw it from their positions) Ravel's breast.

So, it's only natural that their reactions will be…

"GET AWAY FROM RAVEL-SAMA YOU SEX OFFENDER!"

Half of them yelled, causing Itachi, Ravel and the other half to sweat drop.

That was the third time today that Uchiha Itachi was suspected as a pervert.

"Ev…" Ravel tried to say something, but then stop when she felt Itachi's hand on her breast. Her face turns red as she realizes that she still holding Itachi's hand, and preventing him from removing his hand from her breast. "U-u-umm…" she stuttered while blushing madly, and tried to find a way to explain this to Itachi.

Itachi himself has closed his eyes and is currently suffering an immense headache. He had been careless. He got too immersed in his conversation with Ravel that he completely forgot about them. And worst of all, his position has stirred a serious misunderstanding. There is no doubt that his reputation suffered a huge blow, and to them, he is basically a pervert who assaulted their master's sister. What confused him though is the fact that they called him a sex offender despite having one hell of a pervert as a master.

His moment of self-lamentation was over when Yubelluna sent a fire towards his head, which he easily dodged by jumping away from Ravel. He bends his upper body backward to dodge a horizontal slash from Karlamine, but that moment was taken by Isabella to cover their distance and sent him flying away with a punch to the back.

"Route him back to master so that we can finish him once and for all." Yubelluna ordered. All of them replied with 'okay' and began chasing after him. Yubelluna turns to Ravel and crouches down. "Ojou-sama, are you fine? Did he do something to you?" Yubelluna asked.

"N-no, he's done nothing to me. Really." Ravel answered while shaking her head frantically. Yubelluna looks at her skeptically, but then the woman's eyes narrowed when Ravel covered her breasts with her hands.

"Seemed like the damage he caused to you was more of a psychological than physical. Don't worry Ojou-sama, we'll castrate him and then kill him for you." Yubelluna assured with a smile. Ravel instantly went paled.

"D-don't! Don't castrate him, and don't kill him either!" Ravel hastily ordered. "J-just fight him normally."

"If you say so…" Yubelluna complied while sulking slightly. "Well then, Ojou-sama, I'll take my – Hm?" Yubelluna who was already floating, suddenly stopped because Ravel grabbed the edge of her dress.

"Say, Yubelluna." Ravel called out to her while staring at the woman intensely.

"What is it, Ojou-sama?" Yubelluna asked with a sweet and gentle voice.

"What am I to you girls?" Ravel asked, her eyes showing a glint of fear.

"…."

"Am I just a temporary member of Nii-sama's peerage, or am I just Nii-sama's little sister to all of you?" Ravel said, clarifying her earlier question. Yubelluna descent to the ground, and after contemplating about Ravel's question for a moment, she then gives her the answer.

"….Well…neither of that is quite correct." Yubelluna began as she put a finger on her chin. "If I wanted to describe it…to us…Ojou-sama is our comrade." Yubelluna finished with a wink.

"…Comrade?" Ravel asked to make sure that what she heard was right.

"Yes. Ojou-sama is our precious comrade." Yubelluna answered truthfully.

"I see… Comrade…" Ravel muttered as a smile slowly appeared on her lips. "Thank you Yubelluna, you may go…" Ravel said while gesturing with her hand to the woman to chase after them. Yubelluna slowly flies away, and goes after Itachi. As Ravel looked at the disappearing figure of Yubelluna, she sat down and remembered what Itachi had whispered to her.

"_It's because you consider them as your friends that you got angry for them. And I believe they share the same feeling for you."_

She recalled those brief and simple words and looked to the sky.

"Seems like…you were right… Itachi-sama." Ravel said his name for the first time while continue staring at the sky.

Without even herself realizing, she secretly made a wish that Itachi would emerge victorious and that one day she could be together with him again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Come back here, you coward!" Siris yelled. She swings her Zweihander horizontally with the intention of splitting Itachi into two parts, but instead, Itachi jumped above her. "Ack! Damn it! Get down!" she screamed angrily, because Itachi was standing on the edge of her sword and prevented her from swinging it. He takes a quick survey on the females behind her, and then…

"You finally showed your real strength, but…." Itachi began while closing his eyes. He slowly opens it and says… "None of that matters now, for I too have decided to fight a bit more seriously." he finished as he stared at Siris with his sharingan.

"Kah!" At that moment, Siris body became temporarily paralyzed. However, she then quickly turned around and began slashing at her friends.

"Wait, Siris! What are you – KYAAAHH!" One of Raizer pawns fell down after receiving a serious cut to the stomach. Immediately she was teleported to receive treatments. Siris attacks another pawn, which forced the girls to try stopping her.

Itachi, while looking at Siris who is under his control, quickly tilted his head to the right to dodge a flying dagger from behind. He then jumped to another tree, while pulling three kunais with explosive tags. He throws one below him, one to his right, and one on his blind spot. The next second three simultaneous explosions occurred, which destroyed the magic circles aimed at him.

"Why you…" Mihae muttered while glaring at him, annoyed that he easily destroyed the magic circles that she secretly set up.

"Your decision was not incorrect. But there are many areas that need improvement." Itachi commented while throwing a shuriken towards her. Mihae easily dodged it, but what she didn't realize was that Itachi had placed a small magic tag on that shuriken. So, here she is, screaming from being electrocuted by the lighting from Itachi's shuriken.

"Mihae!" Karlamine shouted after seeing her comrade disappeared. "Curse you." She dashed toward Itachi, but instead of slashing him directly like she did earlier, she made a feint and coated her sword with wind.

"Hm? So you've learned…." Itachi complimented while observing her movements pattern.

"Thanks to you, but this is it!" Karlamine shouted as she brought her sword up from Itachi's left side.

"Karlamine! Stop!" Isabella, who was standing on the ground, yelled.

"!" Karlamine abruptly stopped and quickly jumped next to Isabella. "Isabella! Why did you stop me?!"

"Look at his right hand" Isabella said. Karlamine follows what Isabella said, and then her expression turns into one of surprise. Itachi's right hand hanged lazily at his right side. He didn't even move it when she tried to attack him. But the same couldn't be said for his fingers. His fingers were facing to the left, but what makes it utterly shocking is the fact that on each finger there is a small size magic circle. Karlamine had never seen a magic circle as small as those before, but then she shuddered because she realized that before her sword could slice him, Itachi would've immobilized her first.

"Isabella…those are..."

"Karlamine, he is not an enemy that we could face alone. We…" Isabella began as the rest of Raizer's peerage, including Yubelluna, arrived after knocking Siris out. "…need teamwork to defeat him."

"I have no problem with that." Xiaolan said, agreeing with Isabella's proposal.

"Ile too! As long as I can cut him!" Ile excitedly shouted while raising her chainsaw to the sky.

"Nel too!" Nel yelled, doing the exact same thing as Ile.

"I rather fight him together." Mira said with a bit of fear left in her voice.

"What do you say, Yubelluna?" Isabella asked.

"Guess there is no choice." Yubelluna said while shrugging her shoulders.

"That's how it is. Sorry, but don't think badly of us." Isabella told Itachi with a smirk on her face. The women, except for Karlamine, smirked as they slowly rounding up on him. But then, to their confusion, Itachi smiled. Despite the situation that he found himself in, he was smiling. It's neither an arrogant smile that said their efforts were futile or it was the kind of smile that said he was giving up. It's just a smile. A plain small smile. Yet, somehow they found that smile to be even more dreadful than an evil, twisted smile. They raised their guards for they do not know what might happen, and are preparing for the worst. Itachi himself already decided to take this seriously for he has accomplished half of the reason why he fights them.

"…I…" Itachi began suddenly, making some of them jumped in surprise. "…no longer have time to humor you. I have finished my business with Ravel, so that's why…." He raises his head, and let them see his sharingan. "I will now defeat all of you." Itachi declared as his sharingan began to spin.

"Attack him!" Yubelluna ordered. The girls immediately went to attack him, but it was already too late.

Itachi has already pulled them into his 'territory'.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Audience seating platform]**

"It's been thirty minutes." Sona commented without even checking the clock. "It's been thirty minutes since that explosion. What exactly is happening in there?" Sona asked no one in particular.

"I've got no idea." Sairaorg, knowing that it was a rhetoric question, answered it anyway. "Hey, ouch!" he glared at Sona and painfully massaged his leg that she kicked.

"I didn't ask you to answer. By the way, mind if I'm asking you something?" Sona requested, though it sounded more like 'you better comply and give me an answer or I'll freeze you' to Sairaorg's ears.

"Sure, what is it?" Sairaorg asked. Sona takes a small deep breath, and then she opens her mouth.

"What do you mean when you said 'the match is already decided'?" Sona inquired while looking at him sharply. Sairaorg, not sure how to answer this, hold up his chin and make a thinking pose. After a moment, a grin appeared on his face.

"Well, that's because the one who will defeat him is me." Sairaorg answered while grinning excitedly (thought it was more like an idiotic grin to Sona).

"That's not an acceptable answer." Sona began while pushing her glasses up. "Besides, as far as I know, you've already defeated him." Sona said, making Sairaorg gave her a 'what kind of crazy thing are you saying?' look." Annoyed by the look that Sairaorg gave her, she shot him a piercing glare. "I know that you fought Itachi once, I heard it from Rias. And I know that the result was not…satisfying…for him." Sairaorg's expression became even weirder after he heard that.

"Is that what Rias told you? Besides, how the hell did she know about my fight with him?" Sairaorg curiously asked.

"Itachi told her." Sona instantly answered. Sairaorg's eyes widened for a moment, and then he back to his thinking pose.

"Ah I see…Hahahaha! So that's how it is." Sairaorg laughed as he realized what actually happened. _"Itachi… you didn't want to gather attention from the Bael clan for defeating me ,did you? So you lied to Rias, didn't you? Seeing that you were affiliated with the Gremory clan, that is the correct decision at the time. But, you don't have to worry anymore!" _he thought as his respect for Itachi continued to grow. He was only half-correct in his assumption. Itachi did conceal his victory over Sairaorg, but it's not only to protect the relationship between Gremory and Bael, but also so that Sairaorg's position within the clan wouldn't have worsened. But, it's no longer an issue now.

"Why are you laughing?" Sona inquired, while raising one of her eyebrows in curiosity.

"It's nothing. The truth is…." Before Sairaorg could tell her the truth, suddenly there was a commotion.

"Hey! Look! Isn't she one of Raizer's?" a man yelled while pointing at a women who limply walking out of the forest.

"Wait! There's another one!" said a woman.

"And that one too!" another man said, while pointing at another girl.

Sairaorg and Sona quickly take a look at those women, who were none other than Yubelluna, Isabella, and Xiaolan. And then they stared at each other, well, for Sona it's more like she was glaring at him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, Rias' legs became weak the moment she saw members of Raizer's peerage coming out from the forest.

"It can't be…" she muttered with anguish. "No…" Tears started to drop from her eyes, but then…

"Rias-chan, it's not over yet you know...?"

The most unexpected person, who was none other than Serafall, came to comfort her. Rias turns around, but she immediately got hugged by Serafall.

"Serafall…sama?" Rias managed to let out her voice.

"It-tan said it right? 'I'll talk to you later'? That means It-tan will definitely win~." Serafall confidently said with a wide toothy smile.

"But…" Serafall let go of Rias, and then her head's perked up when she noticed someone behind those women.

"See? There's It-tan over there." Serafall pointed at a spot inside the forest.

Rias instantly turned around and then….

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Field]**

"Aah~. What took you girls so long?" Raizer lazily commented. "You've tortured him like I ordered to, right? I don't want him to be let off that easily after he insulted me like that. By the way, where's Ravel and the rest?" he asked the three women, particularly Yubelluna. Not receiving any answer or recognition, he walked closer to them. "Oi. What's wrong? Why didn't you answer me?"

"Mas…ter…" Yubelluna managed to squeeze out her voice.

"Ah?"

"Please forgive us….but…he's just too…" And without even being able to finish what she was saying, Yubelluna fell to the ground alongside Isabella and Xiaolan. Then magic circles appeared and teleport them away from the battlefield.

"….What?" Raizer's shock was so great that his brain couldn't even recognize what's happening until half a minute later. "Yubelluna? Girls? What the he…." Before he could ask what was happening, a voice came from the forest.

"You shouldn't blame them for losing; after all, they did their best. Instead, you should train yourself and your peerage rather than relying on your magic and talents alone."

Everyone became stiff the moment they heard that voice. Well, everyone except for the Satans, Grayfia, the adults, and Sairaorg. After all, they had thought that Raizer was the winner when the three women emerged from the forest, but instead, right now in front of them….

"How?! How could you be here?!" Raizer yelled angrily.

"Of course by defeating your servants." Itachi answered with a matter of fact tone.

Uchiha Itachi stood without a single injury.

"Well then…shall we wrap tonight's banquet?" Itachi asked.

"Wh – GAH!" Before Raizer could say a word, Itachi punched him on the stomach. He painfully jumps back from Itachi, and glared at him with eyes full of hatred. "Why you…!"

"Hm… Your durability is nowhere near Sairaorg's, but you sure regenerate really fast." Itachi commented while looking at the fist that he used to punch him. "That means I have the luxury to punch you as many times as I like without having to worry about killing you."

"You really think you can do that? You're nothing but a…!"

SLIIING

Raizer's voice stopped. It was to be expected, after all, _his right arm was almost severed completely._ He looks to his right and noticed how his arm is hanging like a dead meat. And even though he has the power of regeneration, such a sight is still more than enough to instill shock and fear upon him.

"A…AAAAHHHH~!" Raizer screamed painfully. Even though the wound quickly closed up, but the pain is still fresh in his mind. He turns around to see what had just severed his arm, but the sight was unexpected.

Every single chess piece behind him was cleanly sliced in half.

Those chess pieces were forged using magic and the finest metal, yet it still got sliced in half.

And what's more, there is a slicing sound of metal resounding from between those chess pieces.

"Guh!" Raizer quickly dodged whatever it was that coming towards his head, and then he turns his attention back to Itachi. He then sees it. The thing that almost severed his arm. It was…

"It's harder to control than I initially thought. I should report this to the Professor."

A massive saw-like disc made from an unknown metal.

Raizer never saw that kind of weapon before. The disc was only a size of Itachi's palm, but the blades were longer than an adult's arm. In fact, it's almost as long as an adult's leg. However, what truly disturbing was the fact that Itachi easily held it above his head like it has no weight.

Itachi pressed the middle of the disc, and then the blades immediately retracted back into the disc. He put it inside his jacket, but then he noticed the silent around him.

"All of you seem surprised…" Itachi commented. Without giving Raizer any time to recover, Itachi proceeds to knee him on the face.

"Guah!" Raizer screamed in pin.

"First is your face….." Itachi said, as he kicked Raizer's face once more.

"Guh! Why you…! Take this!" he yelled while bringing his fist towards Itachi's stomach. Itachi easily avoided Raizer's sloppy attack, and then punched his face, again. "Agah!"

"Seems like you can still feel pain. Well then…" he trailed of as he continued to send a barrage of punches to Raizer's face. "Next is your stomach…"

"Geh! I'll kill you!" His body was engulfed in fire, and then the next moment the fire dispersed, leaving Raizer's top exposed. But, what makes him look different is that his arms are engulfed in fire, and wings of fire are sprouting from his back. "Heh, now that I'm like this you are finished." Raizer arrogantly declared. Itachi calmly stares at him as if he wasn't impressed in the slightest, and the he opens his mouth.

"You must be the weakest in your family…am I right?" Itachi questioned.

"What did you say?" Raizer growled.

"You knew I could easily dodge your attack, but instead of being creative, all you did was encasing your fists with fire. To be honest…your sister was much smarter than you…" Itachi calmly mocked. Raizer couldn't contain his rage any longer and then he rushed towards Itachi.

"Die!" he yelled as he brought his burning fist towards Itachi's abdomen.

THUD

His fist went through Itachi's stomach. Raizer grinned, feeling that he has won, but his triumphant feeling was short-lived for Itachi suddenly crumbled into dirt. Raizer has no idea that the Itachi in front of him was actually an earth clone, and that the real one was standing behind him.

"It's better if you turn around." Itachi said.

Raizer turns around following Itachi's advice, but then…

"_**Rasengan." **_

His stomach was struck by Rasengan.

"Agagaga!" Raizer screamed with a pained expression. However, he managed to hold his ground until Rasengan dispersed, which slightly impressed Itachi. "Hah…hah… There's no way I can lose… I am immortal!" he roared.

"Immortal is not the same as invincible, you know." Itachi said. Raizer gritted his teeth, and resumes his assault on Itachi. Itachi easily avoided his attacks, while at the same time thinking how to defeat Raizer without causing _fatality. _Meaning that he has no plan to unleash his more powerful techniques, for it could probably 'kill' Raizer. Besides, what kind of shinobi he is if he reveals his techniques in front of so many witnesses. Secrecy is what keeps a shinobi alive after all. _"Guess I should use that…" _Itachi dryly thought.

He made sure that Raizer was facing his face, before his sharingan started to spin. However, something unexpected happens. His sharingan, instead of spinning as he intended to, changed into his Mangekyo sharingan. And then Amaterasu was casted without Itachi's consent. Raizer, who had no idea about the black flame in front of him, continues charging towards Itachi, while intending to ignore the black flame. But it turns out to be a bad decision. For he could not overpower nor expel the black flame from his body.

"Gah! What is this! What the hell is this flame!" Raizer yelled as he could feel his body was slowly being burned by the flame. Everyone who saw this shared the same expression; shock. A Phenex's fire was well-known as incredibly hot, powerful and undying. Yet, here, in front of them, said fire was being eaten away by a black flame.

It was overpowered by it.

It was powerless in its presence.

And slowly the 'undying' fire became…'dying'.

Itachi himself has the same shocked expression as the others. But for a completely different reason. He was planning to cast a genjutsu on Raizer, specifically the weaker version of Tsukuyomi that he used against Dohnaseek. But, somehow his eyes shifted into his Mangekyo sharingan without him knowing and then casted Amaterasu on its own.

It worries him.

The thought of losing control over his own eyes worries him.

However, he was pulled back to reality when the flame began to change color to white. He quickly regained his bearing and extinguished the flame before it could reduce Raizer into nothing more than a gas on the air. When that happened, Itachi didn't realize a circular pattern on his right eyes. It was very vague, and looked nothing more than a thin line. However, it was there, surrounding his Mangekyo sharingan.

"Hah…hah…hah…" That erratic breathing was not came from Raizer, but from Itachi. Casting Amaterasu cost a great deal of his chakra, and more so when it was the white one. But, extinguished it was even more tiring than casting it, and his chakra was already depleted to just 1/3 of his initial reserved, forcing him to deactivate his sharingan. _"How?" _Itachi's mind continues to search for the reason behind his loss of control over his eyes. So much that he didn't realize that Raizer has recovered from his attack, although there are still some injuries, and aiming his fist to his abdomen. "Ugh!" Itachi painfully grunted as he was sent flying a few meter.

"Take that. A thousand year too early for a reincarnated devil like you to challenge me. Don't ever think that you could beat a pureblood devil!" he roared. Itachi slowly stands up while holding his stomach, but his expression could not be seen.

"Pureblood devil…reincarnated devil…huh?" Itachi muttered. They could sense a bad vibe coming from Itachi's voice, which somehow set them on edge. "It's because you are so dependent on the rules, traditions, and…status…that many of you could not…no…_do not_ want to open your eyes and embraced reality." Itachi harshly said.

"Huh? What kind of bull…"

"It's a given that 'blood' will one day mixed with each other. It's impossible to preserve one 'blood' without mixing it with the others. Arranging a marriage between pureblood devils to preserve its purity… How much more delusional can you be?" Itachi asked. Those words were not aimed to anyone in particular, but the weight behind it can be felt clearly by many. "No matter what you do…pureblood devils will extinct and in time the survival of the devils will be on the hand of the reincarnated ones. But, instead of accepting reality and adapting to the flow of time, you tried to force them to stay in the past." Itachi said coldly.

"Ah…I have no idea what you're blabbering…" Raizer admitted while scratching his head.

"Of course you don't. I wasn't talking to you." Itachi said. What no one's, except for Sirzechs and Grayfia, noticed is that there are hidden eyes who have been watching tonight's event since it's began, or rather, since Itachi arrived in the ballroom. Itachi knew who were watching him, he knew them very well, and because of that he let them know his distaste for their methods of protecting the devils. "As for you…Raizer Phenex…you don't care about tradition nor all those nonsense, right? All you care about is Rias' body…"

A collective gasp could be heard from the audience.

"Heh. So what? What's the point of having such a luscious body if it's not for men to enjoy?!" he loudly asked Itachi.

"…..And that is why… I cannot let you get Rias." Itachi's gaze hardened. "Rather than letting her fall to the hand of someone who doesn't respect her as a person…rather than letting her live a life where ideals and expectations of others are forced upon her… I will take her for myself." Itachi declared loudly. Rias' face immediately goes red, and steam starts coming out from her head. A weird, combination of both happy and embarrassed, smile appeared on her face, and she closed her eyes with delight. After all, to her, Itachi's declaration sounded like a love confession (even though it wasn't).

"In your dre… HABUAH!" Raizer screamed as he was sent flying by a gigantic earth pillar.

"_**DOTON: Ganchuso"**_

"Don't get cocky… I've told you…being immortal is different than being invincible." Itachi said. He then flashed another hand seals.

"_**SUITON: Suiryudan no jutsu"**_

Raizer's body was slammed back to the ground by a water dragon, causing the man to grimace.

"Don't underestimate me!" Raizer screamed as he jumped back up.

"I'm not." Itachi said as he suddenly appeared in front of Raizer. On his right hand is a blue ball like the one he used against him earlier, but the size is twice the size of the earlier one. With a cold expression and equally cold voice, Itachi says to Raizer, "And that's why…I'll 'kill' you."

"_**Odama Rasengan" **_

Itachi continued to push the ball into Raizer's stomach, but, not wanting to create anymore unnecessary destruction, he pushed Raizer to the ground. The next moment, an explosion occurred, leaving behind a massive crater on the ground. Itachi calmly looks at the spot where Raizer is, and then he takes a deep breath.

"G-guah… Shit. Shit!" Raizer cursed as he slowly and painfully crawled up from the center of the crater. The damage from Itachi's Odama Rasengan was so great that he would've died if he was not a Phenex. His regeneration has slowed down significantly, because of the severity of his injuries, but that didn't prevent him from continuing. He continued to crawl, but then sound of wings flapping caught his attention. He looks up, and then his eyes widened.

A massive crow is looking down at him.

A massive crow with three pairs of red eyes is looking down at him.

A massive crow with three pairs of red eyes and two pairs of jet black wings is looking down at him.

It's looking down at him like he was merely an insignificant life form.

It's looking down at him like he was merely a worm that served as its food.

Slowly, it opened its mouth, and Raizer could see its numerous fangs.

Slowly its mouth came closer to Raizer.

He could not move his body and escape, because of the terror that it instilled.

And so…..

CHOMP

Raizer Phenex was bitten whole by the 'crow'.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Raizer screamed with a voice full of dread.

The audience, even the Satans and Grayfia, was taken aback by that scream. They have never seen a scream that was filled with such a great fear before. In addition, they don't understand why Raizer suddenly screamed like that. For all they know, he was crawling up from the crater, but then the instant his eyes fell upon Itachi, he began to scream.

Itachi himself was calmly staring at Raizer, although inwardly he let out a relieved sigh. What he meant earlier by 'kill' is not physically killed Raizer, but rather, he aimed to 'kill' his spirits. That way, Raizer would lose all drive to continue fighting, and he won't have to actually kill him to win this battle. He was worried though, that the moment he activated his sharingan and casted _**Fuzen Tsukuyomi **_(incomplete Tsukuyomi), his eyes would go out of control once more. But fortunately it didn't. Although, he has made a mental note to inform the Professor about it.

"A-a-a-a-aaaaaahhhhhh!" Raizer continued to let out a broken voice. It was only natural; after all, his mind was in a state of disarray. In fact, it was only because Itachi's pacifist nature that his mind is still intact. "Ga-a-aah…" His breathing became stable, but that's because Itachi has put his right hand on Raizer's head and dispelled the genjutsu.

"Sleep…" And with that Raizer Phenex fell down, losing his consciousness.

…

….

…..

Everyone is staring at him. None of them could believe what had just transpired. It totally blew up their expectations. That the man who beat Raizer could summon a water dragon. That the man's black flame overpowered Raizer's. And most shocking was the fact that the man fought not only TWO members of the Phenex clan, but also an entire peerage, and emerged victorious. All by himself.

"A…."

"Hm?" Itachi wondered what's wrong with the audience for them to look like that, but then….

"AMAZING! He defeated that Raizer Phenex! Truly unbelievable!" praised many of the young devils. Their animosity was washed away by their amazement towards Itachi's victory, and for some, they've even grew to admire him. They clapped and cheered for him, but Itachi was not one who loved to receive excessive praise like this. Instead, he was calmly staring with narrowed eyes at a certain direction on the sky, before he turns his attention back to the crowd. He stares at them for a second, before his gaze fell on his friends. All of them have a smile on their faces; even Grayfia has a small smile on her face. He then looks at Sirzechs, and nods. Sirzechs stands up with a wide smile on his face and then announce…

"The winner of the Rating game is….Uchiha Itachi!"

And with that, the match came to conclusion.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Gremory castle – hallway]**

"Mu~. It-tan, where are you?" one Serafall Leviathan complained while pouting.

Right after the battle ended, Itachi instantly disappeared, much to their bewilderment. He disappeared without even using a magic circle, which Sona concluded that he must have used the same speed technique that he used earlier. None of them could comprehend tough why Itachi would suddenly run off like that. And so, they split away with the intention of finding where he is. And Serafall, being the childish Satan that she was, is on the verge of throwing a tantrum, because she couldn't find him even though she really wants to ask him about their date.

She has no idea though, that the reason why Itachi suddenly disappeared like that was to destroy all the spying magic balls that stealthily hovered around Gremory castle. He knew that if he doesn't take care of it as soon as possible, they would have escaped and he would be left clueless. Well, he knew who spied on him, but he doesn't want to come to conclusion without any sort of proof.

"Hu~, It-tan~. Where are you~?" Serafall cried like a child. To be honest, her cry makes her look even more like a child than a child could be. "Not here…" she muttered while checking the inside of a pot. Considering the size of said pot, there's absolutely no way Itachi could fit in there. After all, it's only the size of a leg. "Then…what about here?" she said while opening a curtain, hoping that Itachi was hiding in there and planning to surprise her. Of course Itachi wouldn't do such a childish thing like that. She should've known. "Then…what about…hm?" Her ears twitched when she heard a voice that belongs to none other than Itachi. It was faint, which means he is a bit far from her, but that was more than enough.

Quickly, she runs towards the direction of the voice, and then she noticed that it came from one of the balconies. She sneaked like an expert, to the point that even Itachi would be impressed if he saw this, and take a peek at the balcony on the farthest east.

Itachi is there.

"_Ah~! It-tan!" _She almost jumped towards him, but stopped when she saw that he was talking on his cellphone. She tilted her head in puzzlement when she saw that phone, because it was a very old model, which is considered obsolete if compared to today's cellphones. Of course it wasn't an ordinary cellphone.

That cellphone is the only thing that connects him to the Professor.

Which means right now he is talking with the Professor.

Serafall, curious at what Itachi was talking about, secretly hides behind the curtain, and listen to his conversation.

"Don't worry about that. I've taken care of it…" Itachi assured.

[…..] Serafall could hear an old man speaking, but she couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Yes, it is as we suspected…it's them." Itachi confirmed.

[….?]

"It's not like we know the future though." Itachi lazily commented.

[…..!] Serafall could hear the old man yelling harshly at Itachi.

"I know… I'm sorry for deleting your program, but I have decided not to rely on [Omnicalculator] anymore. And I feared that if I didn't delete it, it might fall to the wrong hand one day." Itachi explained.

"_Omnicalculator?" _Serafall confusedly thought. She had never heard of such name before, but it must have something to do with calculation since the name have 'calculator' in it.

[…..]

"I know the hardship that you've went through to make it. You've told me that story 365 times _**per year**_." Itachi said while massaging his nose, because of the migraine caused by remembering all those times.

[….]

"No, stop. I don't want to hear about it right now." Itachi hastily stopped the Professor, feeling that he would faint if he hears it now. "Professor, I've encountered a bit of a problem just now…"

[….?]

"No, not about 'It'. It's my eyes." Itachi said.

[…?]

"I've lost control over my eyes for a brief moment." Itachi answered.

[…..!]

"I'll give the detail to you later. As for my eyesight… It's fine. I've been experimenting on it by using Mangekyo as many times as possible just like you told me to, but my eyesight hasn't deteriorate in the slightest. It makes me concerned to be honest." Itachi calmly told the Professor.

[…]

"….By the way…about that weapon that you gave me… It was really hard to control it. The rotation was too fast, and I almost thought my left hand was done for." Itachi said while stretching his left hand.

[…]

"Right. I'll send it back to you." Itachi said, agreed to send the disc back to the Professor. "Next time, make sure not to give me a defective prototype."

[….]

"That came from a former hunter." Itachi retorted.

[…]

"Okay, I got it. Don't worry; I'll take care of things here. Just focus on what you are doing."

[…..]

"Till next time….**P**rofessor **V**an **H**el**s**ing." And with that Itachi cut the connection.

He stares at his cellphone for a while, and then stored it away in a pocket dimension. He sighed a bit and then he called her out. "You can come out now, Serafall-san…"

"Te-he~. You noticed?" Serafall playfully asked as she stepped out from the curtain.

"Unless you haven't realized it, you're horrible at masking your presence." Itachi answered with a matter of fact tone.

"Uuuu~. It-tan that's cruel~." Serafall complained while faking a cry. Itachi sighs at her behavior. Then he slowly walks closer to her until he is right in front of her.

"Serafall-san…." Itachi solemnly called her name.

"What~?" Serafall asked while taking a good look at Itachi's expression.

"What you heard just now…please keep it a secret." Itachi pleaded while bowing his head.

"Oka~y~." Serafall answered as simple as that, and with her right hand raised high to the sky. Itachi sweat dropped at Serafall's response, but more because of her childish antique rather than the answer itself.

"Thank you… Serafall-san." Itachi thanked her with a smile on his face. He takes a step forward, intending to go back to Rias and the others, but then Serafall hugs him. "….Serafall-san?" Itachi was confused why all of the sudden she hugged him, although if a pervert was on his shoes, he would definitely more concerned (and happy too!) about the soft sensation of her breasts on his chest.

"Ne~, It-tan." Serafall softly said with her eyes closed. She then opens her eyes, and brings her face closer to Itachi's ear. "I know about It-tan…" she whispered with a serious tone that was really unlike her. Itachi did not show any sign of surprise. Instead, all he did was closing his eyes in deep contemplation.

"I see… So you knew…" Itachi whispered back.

"Yes."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"….It was Sirzechs-san, wasn't it?" It wasn't a question, but more like a statement to Serafall's ears. She responded with 'uh-huh', and then Itachi opens his eyes. "And what will you do?"

"Protect It-tan." Serafall instantly answered. Itachi raised his eyebrows after hearing that, and then he takes a look at Serafall's face (who, by the way, is still on his shoulder). What he saw was unwavering face full of determination, totally unlike her playful self. "It-tan always shouldered everything alone. Even for Rias-chan trouble, you didn't ask for help…no, you rejected that help. And that's why…" she took her head's off of Itachi's shoulder, and stared at his face directly. "I'll protect It-tan whether you want it or not."

"…..Why?"

"I don't want It-tan to die. I don't want to see It-tan suffering all by himself without even telling anyone." Serafall answered seriously. "It-tan, you might think that it's okay for you to suffer as long as others are happy. But it's wrong. Sacrificing yourself like that was wrong. Think about what Rias-chan, So-tan, Sirzechs-chan and many others would feel if they see or found out that you were suffering. We… I…will be very sad." Serafall told him while looking down.

"…..I see…" A small smile appeared on his lips. "But I wouldn't worry if I were you." Itachi told her.

"Mu? Why?"

"Because, surrounding me are wonderful people who care about me so much." Itachi said with a small smile. "Including you, Serafall-san."

"Te-he! Of course!" Serafall jumped back and gave him a 'v' with both hands, while showing her toothy grin.

When he saw that smile of hers, the lingering doubt in him disappeared, and now he is convinced that he made the right choice.

"Thank you…Serafall-san."

"For what?"

"Just…thank you…" Itachi answered.

"Mu…then…" Serafall spun once, before standing right in front of him. With her face so close to his and a wide smile, Serafall says, "Welcome back, It-tan~."

"_..Heh…" _Opening his mouth Itachi says… "I'm back, Serafall-san."

Both of them stare at each other in silent. This scene might look like something that came out of a romance movie, but don't be mistaken. Itachi has no romantic feeling whatsoever towards the girl in front of him. Like calm water, they just silently staring at each other, but then Serafall throw a stone into that calmness. By asking something that would enrage those girls (there's no need for me to tell you who those girls are), and sparked jealousy in all healthy men in the world towards Itachi.

"Ne~. It-tan. When's our date?" Serafall innocently asked.

…

….

…..

"…..Date?" was the only thing he could say.

"Nu! You wrote it here! Look!" Serafall brought out a piece of paper and pointed at a certain line. Itachi looked at it closer, and then his eyes became flat.

It was the paper that his clone gave to her.

However, not a single line in that paper state that he will ask her on a date.

Which means….

"_She misunderstood my intentions…" _was what ran through Itachi's mind. He covered his face with his right hand to hide his tired face.

"So? When? Tomorrow? Next week? Or…." Serafall asked without drawing a breath.

"Serafall-san, that's not an in…"

Unfortunately, his chance to explain the grave misunderstanding was destroyed by the arrival of certain people.

"Ah! Here you are!" yelled Rias.

"Ara ara. Running off like that after a fight wouldn't do you any good." Akeno said while placing her hand on her cheek.

"…Our dress became dirty while looking for you." Sona complained, giving him a sharp glare.

"…Compensation…." Koneko said simply.

Then the next batch comes.

"Oya~, all of you are already here." Sirzechs casually said with a big smile on his face.

"Honestly, making girls looking around the castle… Seems like there is a need for me to 'reeducate' you on manners towards woman." Grayfia coldly voiced her opinion.

Itachi and the rest instantly paled slightly.

"Buchou! So you're here!" Issei said after he saw Rias. "And everyone too."

"I-Issei…san… Please walk slower."

"Oh? Buchou and the others are here…"

Asia and Kiba said at the same time.

"Ah…Sorry Asia." Issei apologized.

"Everyone, why are you here?" Itachi asked

"The man of the day suddenly disappeared like that…of course we'll be looking for you." Sirzechs said while holding his chest and feigning worry. "But enough about that… Ria-tan~.

Those who didn't know about Sirzech's nickname for Rias sweat dropped. Rias' face immediately reddened.

"O-onii-sama! Please stop calling me that!" she pleaded. Her newest servants stared at her weirdly, because they've never saw this side of Rias before. Seeing the look that her friends gave her, she coughed once. "A-anyway!" Turning to face Itachi, she looks down in embarrassment. "Itachi…"

"…Hm?"

"Please take care of me." Rias said while bowing slightly.

"Why did you make it sounded like we are married?" Itachi asked. Rias looked trouble, but then she steeled herself.

"But you said…you'll take me for yourself…" Rias said with a small smile.

"And now I give it back to you." Itachi said. "Your freedom that is…"

"Eh?"

"Do what you love to do. Achieve what you're aspire to be. And more importantly…" Itachi took out something from his jacket and showed it to Rias. It was an action figure. Specifically, it was 'Sailor Luna-chan' action figure. "…live your own life from now on. Not that of Rias Gremory's, but of Rias only." Itachi told her with a warm smile. He handed that action figure and Rias looked at it with a nostalgic expression. He legs are fidgeting for some reason.

"Itachi…" Rias called him.

"Wh – Mmph." Before Itachi could say a word, Rias jumped onto him and….

CHUU~

She kissed him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH~!"

Everyone screamed. Everyone except for Grayfia that is.

Rias continued to kiss him for almost half a minute and in that time Itachi could feel her tongue going in deeper and deeper. When she let go, she had a blush and an absolutely beautiful smile on her face. She then turns to face Sona, Akeno, and Koneko, and gives them a playful yet triumphant smile. By the way, Itachi has no – no, it's more like he doesn't even considered 'that particular reason' as the reason why Rias kissed him.

"…Heheh…."

"….Fufu…."

"….Mmm…."

Such were the reactions of Sona, Akeno, and Koneko. They immediately engaged in cold war with Rias.

"Huhu….Ria-tan's kiss… I really shouldn't have underestimated you…Itachi-kun!" Sirzechs' smile grew dangerous, and his crimson aura even illuminated the balcony.

You have nothing to do with this…right?

Sirzechs was quickly subdued by Grayfia, who pinched his right ear and dragged him away. While he was dragged away, he was crying, 'Waa~! I want Ria-tan to give me a kiss too~!' which embarrassed Rias to no end and causing the males to sweat drop.

Itachi, sensing that things going to go from bad to worse if he does nothing to fix it, decides to avert their attention.

"By the way…where's Sairaorg?" he asked. The girls turned their attentions towards him, and cold sweat formed on his forehead, because of their chilling gazes.

"Ah…Sairaorg, huh?" Sona was the one who spoke. "He already went back the moment you won. He said he needs to train or else he won't be able to fulfill his promise to you."

"….I see…." Itachi muttered. It seems like Sairarog hasn't forget his vow. That he would defeat him one day. Which mean, he needs to do his best to be unbeatable until that day finally come. "…Hm?" Itachi was brought out from his musing when he heard a sniffling voice from behind him. He turns around and is presented with a sight of….

"Hic…Huee~."

Serafall crying…

"…_Now what?" _Itachi flatly thought. Serafall's unpredictability makes her really hard to deal with, and he has no idea why she's crying like this. But then….

"Weee~. It-tan's first kiss' gone…" she cried while reminding others of that startling revelation.

….

…..

…

So cold… The mood that was improving, instantly reached the bottom once more. They have dangerous looks on their gazes, to the point that even Kiba has retreated, Issei's backed to the wall with Asia were both trembling while hugging each other, and Itachi's back is drenched with cold sweat. However, as if those weren't enough, Serafall dropped the nuke.

"Even though you promised to take me out on a date~."

CRACK!

Rias, Sona, Akeno, and Koneko became white. No, they became statues. Statues with cracks all over their bodies.

Sweat rolled from his face. Itachi knew that he was in grave danger the moment Serafall mentioned that. So, like what a fine shinobi would do when faced with things outside of his abilities. He flees.

Or at least…he tried to flee.

His body couldn't move, because there's a whip, magic whip, which tied him on place. He could escape if the caster was anyone else, but sadly, the whip came from…

"I've told you earlier right… I need to 'reeducate' you. I also want to 'discuss' something with you…"

The 'strongest' person he has ever met, Grayfia.

Somehow, Rias, Sona, Akeno, and Koneko have been pulled into Grayfia's pace. And now they're slowly walking towards him with menacing look on their faces.

"…What's the meaning of this…Itachi?" Rias asked while coldly glaring at him.

"….I'll beat you up if you give me a half-assed explanation…." Sona threatened with an equally cold glare.

"….Ara ara, what about his supposed 'kiss' to Ravel-sama's hand? We need to hear the detail about that too~." Even though she casually said that with a smile, but that smile of hers looks extremely dangerous. Not to mention her eyes became darker than black.

"…..Full explanation…" Koneko muttered as she punched her left palm.

Itachi tried to say something, but Rias made it even worse.

"…You also need to tell us about what you've been doing all this time. In details. What you ate, what you saw, where you slept, who you're interacted with, whether you flirted with another girl, and so on." Rias stated.

"…_Are you my mother?" _Itachi dryly thought. He sighs in defeat, and decides to craft a lie to cover up for what he's been actually doing. But then…

"That can come later. Right now…he needs to be punished."

Sona coldly declared.

For one reason or another, the girls nodded their heads in agreement (including Grayfia and Serafall).

Itachi has an idea as to why they want to punish him, and he could try to reason with them. But that was irrelevant in the face of the incoming juggernauts.

"Do you have anything to say?" Sona asked as her glasses glinted, despite the lack of light source.

Knowing that his fate has already been sealed, Itachi's only response is…

"Just do it."

That night, Itachi experienced just how frightening a woman's – or rather, women's wrath can be. The only silver lining in his moment of darkness was that he managed to clear up the misunderstanding about his kiss to Ravel's hand.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[Somewhere in the Underworld]**

A group of hooded people were sitting on a circular table. The place looked like a medieval castle with only candles serves as a source of light to illuminate the room. From the atmosphere itself, it's obvious that they were talking about something serious.

"Did you see it? He defeated that Phenex brat."

"I know. And the worst part was that he discovered our surveillance balls."

"That's NOTHING! A pureblood devil lost to a reincarnated one? It's unthinkable! And that words of his! He practically declared war against us!"

"Not to mention some of the young devils have grown to respect him. This will be troublesome."

"We should've killed him long ago, before he became a nuisance to the stability. I knew he would be one since that time he stood against Bael."

"Out of question. With Sirzechs taking care of him, if something happened to him, that brat would swipe through every corner of the Underworld to find the perpetrators."

"The Gremory blood huh? That overly affectionate blood has proven to be a troublemaker once more."

"Not to mention the 'strongest queen' and Serafall Leviathan. Heh heh. The boy sure has gathered some troublesome allies for himself."

"This is not a laughing matter. If we want to deal with him, we need to do it as discreet as possible."

"Assassination then? I'm not one for such thing."

"No need for that."

"State your reason."

"Assassination is useless, because it would definitely fail."

"Nonsense. We have the finest…"

"You've saw him destroyed those balls. And those were _my _creation, which I designed to be undetectable. Yet he detected it anyway. If he could detect something like that, how do you think those assassins would fare?"

"…."

"However…I could gather all the data about him for you without letting anyone knows, not even Sirzechs and Grayfia would suspect me. After that you can lure him to a trap and dealt with him, secretly, without anyone's noticing."

"….That's certainly better than what I have in mind."

"But we need to make it so that it looked like he died from an accident. That way no one would suspect that he was actually killed."

"….Splendid… then I'll leave it to you…** Ajuka**."

"Just leave it to me."

And with that, Ajuka left the room.

"Are you sure we can trust him?"

"Don't worry about it. Despite how he is, he is loyal to us."

"All for the sake of devils and Underworld."

"ALL FOR THE SAKE OF DEVILS AND UNDERWORLD!"

And then the light dies down.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**[?]**

"Hm~,hm~, hm~. Oh, you're here."

"….It's rare for you to be here on your own. Usually I would need to summon you."

"I just felt like it. So, how was it with the Infinite dragon? Did you manage to convince it?"

"I don't need to tell it about my plans. All I need to do was told it that we will kill Great Red."

"Hm~, boring."

"….Hey…"

"What?"

"….Was that your true form?"

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"That form that I saw in 'that place'…was that really your true form?"

"Who knows? I've never see myself on front of a mirror. More importantly, I see you've managed to cross the 'border' and saw 'that place'. I'm impressed."

"Save your flattery for yourself. I didn't cross it, _you showed it to me._"

"Whoops. Seems like I've been found out huh?"

"So, was it?"

"How do I appear to you now?"

"…..You look…like a human…with long blond hair."

"Then that's my true form for you. My form is not fixed. No, it's more like the system could not accommodate me. The material necessary to form me does not exist. Which is why, your mind assembled my form to compensate it. _Because it is not possible yet for your mind to comprehend me._"

"….Is that so? And about that Uchiha Itachi? When you told him that his body was upgraded, was that true?"

"Well…that body wasn't his to begin with. I'm only added some extra spices when I converted it to be his. And the battle with Ahriman strengthened those parts."

"….Not his?"

"Do you honestly think that when someone's soul was pulled from the pure world, they would automatically get a body? Get real. It's the opposite."

"What?"

"Body and soul needs to be in harmony for one to be alive. It's like a pair of gears. The reason why when one dies the soul left its body is because the physical gear was gone. And what do you think we should do to revive someone?"

"….By providing the soul part with a new identical half."

"…You've grown smarter… Anyway, that was an impossible task, even if you clone the body. The soul will not fit properly, and there will definitely a backlash later on."

"….Then what did you do?"

"Simple, I rearranged _everything _to make it fit. Not only the molecular structure, but also the chemicals that forms those molecules. It's like making an instrument from another instrument."

"…..So, whose body did you use? Why didn't you just use his original one?"

"His real body isn't strong enough to cope with the evolution that he will undergo. As for whose body that I used…it was Senju Hashirama's."

"What did you say?"

"Like I said…his body was originally Senju Hashirama's. Why do you think his chakra reserves suddenly became so big? Even with training, it shouldn't be possible to achieve that in just a decade."

"…And, that's why his vision hasn't deteriorated…"

"That's only half of the reason."

"Half…? You…. You're not here just to have this petty talk with me, aren't you?"

"Yep. I'm here to warn you about two things."

"Warn me about what?"

"First, I have sent Schmidt to launch an assault on Uchiha Itachi so that he would be forced to use 'his' power, so tell your subordinates to either cooperate with Schmidt or stay away."

"….Schmidt? Never heard of him."

"Of course you wouldn't have. Second, if you want to make use of his eyes, you better do it quickly. His eyes are slowly returning to its original form."

"…Returning to its original form?"

"Have I ever said that his eyes are actually his? His eyes are still in his brother's eye sockets you know?"

"!?"

"It's still weak right now, and he has no idea about it, yet. But the problem for you is… Once he awakened it and learned how to control it…let's just say…you could forget your plan to control the two dragons using him."

"…..Then…those eyes… Who were they belonged to?"

"Well~, those eyes were originally belonged to…"

**Ta~ra! The End! Well, not really. More like the end of this arc. **

**By the way, some reviewers said they were going to flame the last chapter. Honestly, I have no idea why. So, if you could be so kind as to tell me, please do so. I love to receive different opinions. So, pm me, kay? **

**Oh and as usual!**

**Rate and Review folks!**


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